To Tortall!
by RoseFyre
Summary: *Completed*
1. In Tammy's Apartment

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Okay, all you loyal Tammy fans, I want you to join me in writing this fanfic. I need you to volunteer to become characters in my story. The basic story will be mine, but I need your input as to what you want to do. There's no limit to how many of you I can include, though, of course, the more of you there are, the less screen time you'll get. Also, the earlier you enlist, the more chapters you'll appear in. However, before I start writing, I need to tell you the rules. So, here they are people.  
  
  
  
Tell me what name you want to be called. If you don't say, I will use your username. If it's too long, I'll use an abbreviation, but make sure everyone knows who the abbreviation refers to.  
  
Describe yourself-looks, age, what you like, etc. I may not use this info, but that's one of the things I don't know yet.  
  
I need to know which characters you like. This story will involve any and all characters from Tortall who are still alive at the end of Lady Knight. If you, for instance, love Neal, tell me, so that I can use that information.  
  
Dead characters will NOT, under any circumstances, be resurrected, so, if you love Roger or Joren, write your own story. However, you can profess your undying love for someone dead, and you can get mad at whoever killed them. In other words, dead people may be mentioned, but they will not appear in person.  
  
If you want to say or do something to a particular character, tell me. There will be no sex scenes, no killing, and no permanently hurting people. So, don't bother asking me if you can kill Jon. I won't put it in. However, if what you want is something reasonable, I will try to put it in. I need two people to volunteer to be Agents A and L (they're in it already, but they don't have names yet).  
  
No one from the Circle of Magic books will make an appearance. However, later on I may write a fanfic about them.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Tammy owns them all (though I certainly wish I did) including herself. The other characters, nameless as yet, are fans who own themselves. And now, (drum roll please) for the first part of the story:  
  
  
  
Midnight, New York City  
  
Tamora Pierce awoke to find a large group of teenagers standing around her bed. She was alone in it; her husband was away on vacation, and the animals were sleeping elsewhere in the apartment. She looked over at the clock and noticed that it was midnight.  
  
"Hey, everybody, she woke up!" said one of the teenagers. Tammy suddenly realized that she didn't recognize any of them, and that there were at least seven of them there.  
  
"Finally!!" was the very eager response. "How do you get to Tortall?" they chorused.  
  
"What the?" she asked, and then she realized something. "How the hell did you get into my apartment?"  
  
"That's not important," replied another girl. "We want to go to Tortall, and, as you're the only person who knows how to get there, we had to find you first. Come on, you're leading."  
  
"But, it's fiction!" she protested, knowing they wouldn't believe her. She DID know how to get to Tortall; it was a secret she had been guarding for over 20 years, since she had stumbled through the secret door and started writing down what she saw. In fact, she had gone so far as to pay for a parking spot for a car she never used that stood above the trapdoor which led there.  
  
"Yeah, you do," replied yet another teenager. "Come on, we all love your books, and we really want to meet the people you write about." She waited a moment, than said: "Look, you're taking us whether you want to or not, so can you PLEASE cooperate?"  
  
Tammy cautiously got up and turned on the light. She suddenly realized that she was wearing only a nightgown, while the teenagers were all fully dressed. They also carried tents, canteens, and other supplies. She suddenly realized that there would be no way to get rid of them.  
  
"Can I at least get dressed first?" she asked. After a short discussion, they agreed. All of them left the room. However, there was still no way for her to leave. She had no doubts about their location; all of them would be waiting outside the only door. And, being 38 flights up, she couldn't just jump out a window. Tammy got dressed, took a deep breath, and went out into the hallway.  
  
As she expected, the teens waited for her there. As she left the apartment, she noticed the scaffolding outside her window that the window washers had been using. So THAT was how they had gotten in! She decided that next time she would buy unbreakable windows and keep them locked, no matter how stuffy it got in the apartment.  
  
She locked the door behind them all, than pressed the elevator button. As she waited for it to appear, she realized that they were all staring at her, almost as if they were looking for her hidden secrets. She looked away, uncomfortable by their stares. She got into the elevator and realized that they all fit, so there couldn't be too many of them. When they got to the garage, she got out and silently led the way to her car. Just as she was about to crawl under it, two of them stopped her.  
  
"Wait," one of them said. Tammy didn't think she was one of those who had spoken before. She took out a walkie-talkie and said: "Agent L, can you hear me?"  
  
"I hear, Agent A. Have you found the gate?"  
  
"Yup. Come down to the parking garage, level -2. I'll meet you by the elevator," said the girl, whose name, apparently, was Agent A.  
  
"I hear you," came the voice. Agent A put the walkie-talkie away and motioned to another girl. The other girl took her place by Tammy as Agent A walked towards the elevator. After a few minutes, Agent A led an even larger group of teenagers towards the car.  
  
"Okay, we're all here," said one of the girls holding Tammy's arms. "Time to go." She let go of Tammy and gestured for her to go. Tammy crawled under the car, knowing they were watching, and went through the trapdoor. She felt the familiar sensation of falling into hay, than got out of the way quickly. Each of the teens followed, being careful to move before the next one could land on them. Once they were all there, Tammy whistled a special tune that brought a man up into the loft. He smelled of horses, and he had hair the same color as the straw all around them.  
  
Stefan looked around and said: "Tamora, who are all these people?"  
  
  
  
That's where part one ends. I need your help; I won't write any more until I have at least seven reviews, so please r&r!!! Thanks! -RoseFyre 


	2. To Tortall They Go!

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: None of them are mine! None, I tell you, none! Not even the people whose names you don't recognize! They all own themselves! Not even the idea for an interactive story! That came from LaLuna, who did one for Phantom! I hate this!!!  
  
Oh, wait, I DO own the unimportant servants (yes, Rose is based on me, but I'm not giving her a main part because I don't want to be biased) and some of the animals. Sorry about that mistake. -RoseFyre (runs away in shame)  
  
  
  
12:15, Corus, The Hayloft Of The Stables  
  
Stefan looked around and said: "Tamora, who are all these people?" He tried to count them, but he couldn't; there were too many of them there. One of them (the one Tammy recognized as Agent A) stood up.  
  
"We are all devoted Tortall fans. We love reading her books," she pointed at Tammy, "so much that we forced her to show us how to get here so that we could talk to all of you."  
  
"Okay," Stefan said, in a very skeptical voice, almost as though he didn't understand a word she had said. In fact, he probably didn't. "Then, what's your name?"  
  
"I'm Blaize."  
  
"Wait a sec!" said Tammy, "I thought your name was Agent A!"  
  
"Well, that was just so that no one else would know who we were," said Agent L, sounding as though it should have been obvious. "In fact, my name is Coffee Lee." Tammy felt like a bit of an idiot-she should have known that no one from earth would name their kid Agent A.  
  
"Come on you guys, I want to see George!" said another fan. "I'm Lady Fire Eyes and he is one of my favorite people ever!" Tammy tried to keep track of the conversation and all of the names being thrown around. The teens obviously knew each other quite well.  
  
"And we want to see Alanna," said another teen, gesturing to the girl next to her. The girl nodded. "I'm Anita and she's Martina, and we both absolutely LOVE Alanna." Soon, all of the fans were arguing over which of the characters was the best. Then, the horses downstairs started to neigh. They all sounded very annoyed, and a girl said, "You're making the horses mad! Wait, how do I know that?" she asked, very confused.  
  
"You have wild magic, lass. Didn't you know?" replied Stefan.  
  
"Really?" asked the girl. "I've always loved animals, but I couldn't understand them at all back on earth!" She looked at Tammy. "Oh, I'm Skye, by the way. Do you know why I have magic here and I don't back home?" All of the teens suddenly quieted down and looked at Tammy.  
  
"Well. . . apparently, wild magic, the gift, and the sight are all abilities that are latent back on earth, but come into their full power here. I happen to have the gift, and so will about a third of you. However, only two or three of you will be really strong. Skye-is that your name?" Skye nodded. "Skye has wild magic. Maybe another two of you will, but it's likely that only one of you will be strong. And, one of the myriads of you will have the sight. Has anyone ever felt like she knew what was going to happen, and then it did?" Maddy raised her hand. "That's you then," said Tammy. Since the girls were finally being quiet, she said, "Come on, I'll take you to the palace."  
  
Stefan watched as the troop of teenagers left the hayloft. He shook his head, still confused about who or what they were. He knew that Tamora came from a different world, but no one else had ever accompanied her. He climbed back down, soothed the horses, than went back to bed.  
  
  
  
12:30, Corus, Tamora's Rooms In The Palace  
  
As the group arrived in Tamora's rooms, an exhausted young girl, about 18 years old, wearing a dressing gown looked out the door at them. "Lady Tamora!" she exclaimed, obviously in shock, "I thought you weren't going to return until Midwinter, for the Ordeals!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't expect this to happen." That was when Rose noticed the teenagers behind Tammy.  
  
"Who are these people, Lady Tamora?" she asked, obviously scared.  
  
"Don't mind that, Rose. I'll be sleeping in my room tonight and they'll camp out on the floor. You can go back to sleep." The frightened girl curtseyed and returned to the room. She held the door open, then, after everyone was inside, curtseyed again and hurried to the dressing room. The girls started setting up the tents. While they were setting up, they continued to talk.  
  
"Who was that, and why did she call you a lady?" a girl inquired.  
  
"Well. . . Wait, what's your name?" came the reply.  
  
"I'm Zoe."  
  
"Well, that was Rose. She's my servant when I stay here. They rest of the year she simply keeps my room and belongings neat and helps with large parties. As for being a lady, well, I have magic and money, and I've done some services for Jon."  
  
"You mean King Jonathan?" asked another girl. Tammy nodded. "I hate him! He was so mean to Kel! And YOU like him?" She sounded completely outraged.  
  
"Tina Silent, please calm down," said Martina. "As you were saying. . ."  
  
Tammy continued. "Rose is very nice, and she's safe with me. You've all read my books; you've met her older sister."  
  
"Who's that?" asked another girl, obviously curious.  
  
"Lalasa-they're very similar, though Rose doesn't like to sew."  
  
"Lalasa has a younger sister?" asked Maddy. "Wow, Raganas, I bet you didn't know that!" The girl who had asked replied, "Well, neither did you, Maddy. I bet none of us did. We're all new here."  
  
"Yes, we are," said another girl. Everyone shook their heads except for one, who said, "No, Amy's right, we are. Even though all of us have read the books countless times, we're all new to actually BEING in them." Tammy nodded her head.  
  
"Thanks-um, what's your name?"  
  
"Krizsta."  
  
"People, Krizsta is right. You ARE all new here, and the people here have no experience in dealing with people from earth. You saw how Stefan and Rose reacted; the people you know a lot about are going to react even MORE strangely. Please be careful." The girls nodded. "All right then, finish setting up the tents and go to bed. I'll talk to you in the morning and start getting you accustomed to being here." She turned off the lights with a wave of her hand, proving her statement that she had the gift.  
  
  
  
So, that's the end of part two. Please R&R and tell me if you want in! It will continue in the morning. . . 


	3. Enter The King's Own

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: They're not mine, I swear! I had nothing to do with making any of them-they're all Tammy's! Or they own themselves (at least, I hope they do) and they chose to let me use them! They're NOT mine!  
  
  
  
10:00, Corus, Tamora's Rooms  
  
Tammy woke up to the soothing sounds of sparrows chirping, maids whistling, and Britney Spears blaring over the radio. She lurched out of bed, completely confused as to where she was. As she stumbled over to the door, she almost tripped over a bright blue tent. The radio blared as it sat on the floor; a hand reached out of a tent and turned it off. The girl stuck her head out and glared at a bluish/purplish tent.  
  
"Carla, I TOLD you not to choose that radio station." Carla's head popped out of the tent. "I'm sorry, Brooke. It was the only station that got reception. How was I supposed to know that it would play Britney Spears first thing in the morning?"  
  
"It's not first thing in the morning," said another girl. "I got up at 9:00 so that I could review the books, so that I know what to ask Daine when I meet her." Girls' heads started popping out of tents. One of them answered, "I know Kaddy, me neither, but it's still too early." She looked at Tammy, who had managed to get to the wall and lean against it. "I'm Angel, by the way. And I REALLY REALLY love your books!"  
  
It was too early for Tammy to absorb all that information, especially since she had been up till an ungodly hour the night before. The teens started to get up, groaning all the while, when Tammy heard a noise coming from the hallway. It sounded like a slap.  
  
She opened the door and saw Rose and Sir Quinden of Marti's Hill, a knight who had the rooms next to hers, standing there. Rose was dressed for work in a plain dress and an apron; Quinden wore a dressing gown.  
  
The situation didn't look good; Rose, with a pail in one hand and the other on her face, was backed against the wall with Quinden stopping her from moving. She was quivering all over as he forced her back.  
  
"What was that, girl?"  
  
"Sir, I swear I don't know, I just came out here to clean up for Lady Tamora. . ."  
  
"You're lying, girl. That noise came from your lady's rooms, and she's not at the palace right now."  
  
"Sir, she" He slapped her across the face, not waiting for her to finish the sentence. She dropped the pail, spilling water everywhere. "Blaming it on your mistress, are you brat? You shouldn't insult your betters that way." He pointed to the mess. "Clean it up!" She did nothing, only quivered. "I said, clean it up, bitch!"  
  
"But, sir, I have nothing to"  
  
"What you have on will do well enough." He slapped her again, shoving her to the floor. Suddenly, green and white fires surrounded him, pushing him away from the girl as she cowered on the floor. Tammy glanced behind her, knowing that the magic wasn't hers; she had magic of the darkest purple. All of the teens were lined up behind her, glaring at the man on the floor. Quinden looked up. He saw Tammy and blanched. Then he noticed the group behind her and turned even paler, if such a thing were possible.  
  
"What are you doing here, Lady Tamora? I-I thought you wouldn't return till Midwinter."  
  
"I hadn't planned on it, SIR Quinden, but, from the way you seem to be treating MY maid, perhaps I must return more often." He inched away. Then Tammy walked over to him and grabbed him by the collar. "If you EVER mess with my maid again, I will report you to Jon. Do you understand me?" She lifted him, with only a little help from her gift. She dragged him over to the now-sobbing Rose, whom Krizsta was trying to comfort. "Help her up. She is worth more than ten of you, even if you ARE a knight. Honestly, I have no idea how you passed the ordeal." He glared at Tammy, then went to do as she said. When he went near Rose, however, she moved away from him, still sobbing. Krizsta got in between them.  
  
"Can't you see she's terrified of you? You big bully, don't even try to come near her ever again, or you'll have all of us to mess with you. Now go to your room and leave us alone." He looked at the determined line of teens and walked away.  
  
"Now, what are we going to do about her?" asked Raganas, since Rose just lay on the floor, crying and quivering.  
  
"Well, hmmm," answered Tammy. "One thing I do want to know, though, is who's magic that was."  
  
Blaize answered: "I think the green was mine." Coffee Lee tentatively raised her hand. "All right then," said Tammy, "You two will need training in the gift. There are probably more of you, but we'll have to figure THAT out later." She turned to her maid. "C'mon, Rose," she coaxed, "Please come inside. We'll deal with the floor, or I'll get Salma to." Rose slowly got up, realized everyone was staring at her, then ran into the room. Tammy shook her head, hoping the girl was alright. "All right, girls, let's clean up. And, please, no more radio."  
  
"But, how do you get up here?" asked Anita.  
  
"You get a maid to wake you. Rose normally does it for me," was the answer.  
  
"And what do they do?" asked Amy.  
  
"Well, most of them have trained themselves to get up at a certain time. Those who haven't are woken by those who have."  
  
The girls trooped into the room, grabbed some dirty clothes and went back out to clean the floor. Once it and they were clean, and they were all fully dressed, Tammy started to speak.  
  
"Now we go to see Jon. I managed to get a message out to him last night, so he knows we're coming, and he knows you're from earth, but. . ."  
  
"But?" asked Skye.  
  
"But. . . he doesn't know that I've written books about him." The words came out in a rush. "You see, my position here is record-keeper, so I can write things, but no one knows that I've published them over there. Also, he's the only one who knows I come from a different world-most of them think I'm a minor lady who tends my fief most of the year. And even Jon doesn't know about the luxuries we have over there."  
  
The teens were stunned for a minute, then they all began to speak at once. Through the uproar, no one could hear anyone else. Then, having heard, three loud sets of noise and determined to help Lady Tamora or her servant girl if they need helping, a group of the King's Own rushed into the room, led by Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak and his seargent, Domitan of Masbolle.  
  
Immediately, everyone converged on Raoul and Dom, oohing and aahing over the two of them. Tammy was the only one who hung back. Once Raoul managed to get out of the mob of adoring teens, thankfully without causing or getting any injuries, he went over to her.  
  
"Tamora, I thought you weren't returning until Midwinter. And who are these people? Do you want me to force them out?" He seemed a bit shocked that she wasn't hurt. "And are you all right?"  
  
"Yes I'm fine. No, don't bother removing them, they won't go, and they know how to return." She sighed. "There's no point. And, well, I wasn't going to return till Midwinter, but something came up."  
  
Dom finally managed to get out of the mob, and he came over to join the conversation after stopping the rest of the Own from using their weapons. "Hello, Lady Tamora. What is this mess?"  
  
"Look, I. . . I can't explain right now. We need to go talk to Jon. Look, you guys can come along. . ." The two of them looked at each other, shrugged, and gestured to Tammy to lead the way, dismissing the others on the way out. The fans followed, taking some of the bags they had brought. They kept shooting glares at Tammy, still annoyed by her lying to all of their favorite people.  
  
After about ten minutes of walking, they reached Jon's office. . .  
  
  
  
All right, that's it for part three. I'm trying to do these as fast as I can, preferably a chapter a day, but it's extremely hard with the amount of work they give you at college. I think I can manage one every two days, and one a day on the weekends, but I'll try to do more. Thanks to everyone for responding so enthusiastically. I want a few responses on the next part-who's going to be with Jon in his office? I have some ideas, but I want to know what you think. Thanks again! RoseFyre 


	4. The King's Wrath

Midnight, Corus Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing, nothing, nothing is mine! (Though I do plan on stealing it ASAP.)  
  
  
  
10:30, Corus, Jon's Office  
  
As Sir/Lady Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Barony Olau was pouring the tea (Copper Isle Red Griffin) for King Jonathan of Conté, Sir Gareth (the younger) of Naxen, Sir Myles of Olau, and Baron George of Pirate's Swoop, her husband, she felt fire on the edges of her magical shields. She gasped, almost dropping the teapot. Then she felt its weight being taken from her and she looked into George's worried hazel eyes. She smiled, even though it took an effort.  
  
"I'm fine. Really, I'm fine."  
  
"What WAS that?" asked Myles. He sent a worried glance towards his adopted daughter. "Jon, Alanna, you both suddenly turned white."  
  
"I felt something on my shields, something like. . . fire," answered Jon.  
  
Gary gasped. "I've got to go check on Father." He ran out of the room. Alanna, though still dizzy, moved to follow.  
  
"No. I'll get Duke Baird," replied Jon. Alanna sat and poured her tea down her throat. Jon clenched, than opened, his hand, blue fire streaming out to show Duke Baird's face. "You called, Majesty?"  
  
"Did you feel that?"  
  
"Yes. What was it?"  
  
"We don't know. Look, Baird, Gary's worried that something might've happened to his father. After all, Uncle Gareth isn't very strong. Will you or Neal go?"  
  
"I'll go; I can't get Neal out of bed this early, even though that wife of his is already practicing the glaive with the princess." Jon laughed, an almost hysterical sound, than closed his hand, crushing the face. He took a reassuring gulp of tea, reminded, as always, of the first time he met Thayet.  
  
That's when the teens entered.  
  
Jon immediately got up, his eyes narrowing as he saw Tammy enter. He also noticed that Raoul and Dom were being shepherded by the very large group. he alone knew the truth about Tammy's origins and the world she came from, even though no one else did. Their eyes met, and she looked down first.  
  
"Lady Tamora." All noise ceased at the sound of that voice, at once imperious, commanding, and cold as ice. "I would like to speak to you. ALONE." The girls, as well as his people, seemed a bit confused. Alanna kept looking from one to the other, hand on sword hilt, as though she was trying to discern the full meaning of his actions, not just the part he had said aloud.  
  
"Yes, your Majesty." She curtsied gracefully, like a lady drilled in such movements every day since she was born, even though she was wearing breeches.  
  
"Everyone else, don't talk until we return." Tammy nodded, clearly in agreement with his statement, and motioned to the teens to move to the left side of the room. The Tortallans moved right. Jon motioned to Tammy to enter his private study, than he followed, shielding the door with magic.  
  
Once they were alone, he lashed out.  
  
"What is this all about? Bringing masses of teenagers from Earth to Tortall?! Are you insane? It's bad enough that you're here-I can barely manage to explain your abscences by saying you're a mage and you travel and keep records for me! And did some of those untrained idiots have anything to do with that magical disturbance a few minutes ago? If they're not careful, they'll kill us all!"  
  
She sighed and rubbed her head. "Jon, I didn't WANT to bring them. They forced me to come and bring them when I hadn't planned on returning till Midwinter. I know you don't want them here; neither do I. And yes, they did cause the disturbance. Quinden, that aristocratic idiot, attacked my maid and two of them used flames to force him off. I felt the disturbance too."  
  
"Why did they force you to bring them? How could they know?" Jon sounded as though he were fighting to remain calm.  
  
"Well. . . um. . . I used the records I kept to write books about you people back on Earth. I currently have four on Alanna, four on Daine, and four on Keladry of Mindelan. And I sort of hate to say this, but you seem like a bit of a jerk in one of them."  
  
By that point he was even more livid, if such a thing were possible. He went over to her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and shook her. "You stupid. . ."  
  
They both heard the door open. Zoe stuck her head in the door. Even though Jon's shields were still up, Zoe didn't seem to have any problem entering the room. "Uh, your Majesty, Lady Tamora, Master Numair is outside and he's fair angry. . ."  
  
Before she had a chance to finish, both Jon and Tammy ran for the door. In fact, Zoe barely managed to get out of the way in time.  
  
Tammy entered a scene of absolute chaos. All of the teens were almost, well, petting Numair and Alanna. Apparently his entrance had broken down the barriers between the two sides of the room.  
  
Once Jon was visible, Raoul yelled "Silence!" in his command voice. The teens shut up. Tammy sank to the floor, not fainting, just trying to make herself as small as possible. She knew it wasn't working. Raoul glanced at her, than at Jon, than said, "Jon?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Numair answered. "I was in the middle of a very complicated, delicate experiment when it was interrupted. I came over here, thinking you or Alanna might know what the problem was, when I was assaulted by a mob of hysterical teenagers. Then you came in."  
  
Jon made a quick decision. "Let's go to the practice fields. I need Thayet." He glanced scornfully at Tammy. Then he left the room. Everyone quickly followed, the teens carrying their very full bags.  
  
As they entered the training yard, the girls noticed some women fighting with what looked like spears. "Kel!" they yelled, as one. One of the women lost concentration, her partner barely avoiding stabbing her with the glaive. It was, of course, Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan. The others were Queen Thayet jian Wilima, Buriram Tourakom, Crown Princess Shinkokami, and Yukimi Daiomoru.  
  
They stopped moving and watched the mob approach.  
  
  
  
There's part four. I just wanted to say that this weekend is going to be a bit insane when it comes to writing. First of all, my hard drive is, in very technical language, "toast." Second, it's Yom Kippur, so I'll be fasting on Monday. I should be able to get out more installments, hopefully with you guys in them, so please be patient! Thank you. RoseFyre 


	5. What Do You Want To Do?

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. No one, I tell you! Well, right now I own Rose, and I own the characterizations of some people, those who aren't very major in any of Tammy's books, but, on the whole, they're hers.  
  
  
  
11:00, Corus, The Training Yard  
  
Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan was a bit stunned. A whole group of people had just yelled her name and almost gotten her killed! She was lucky that Yuki had a lot of practice in fighting with the glaive.  
  
She looked over at the palace, towards where the noise had come from. There were about thirty teenagers walking towards her group, along with the king, Alanna, George, Myles, Numair, Raoul, and Dom. There was also a woman she didn't recognize, though the woman looked like a lady, even though she was wearing breeches instead of a skirt.  
  
Jon ordered everyone not to move, then walked over to have a few private words with Thayet.  
  
"Jon, who are all these people?" she asked, very confused.  
  
"They're from the same world as Lady Tamora. You know, I told you that she's not from Tortall or Scanra or any of the other surrounding countries."  
  
"But, how did they get here?"  
  
"Apparently they forced her to bring them, and I have a feeling that they're going to want to stay. We need to separate them, figure out who has the gift, the sight, and wild magic, and then either train them or make them go home."  
  
"Oh, Goddess." Thayet's voice conveyed much more than she could ever have said.  
  
"I agree with you completely." Jon and Thayet walked back to the group. Everyone curtsied or bowed, including the teenagers, though some of them were a bit shaky. Jon then dismissed his people, telling them he would meet them in the Council Room in an hour. He also told Numair and Yuki to get Daine and Harailt of Aili, Alanna and George to get Duke Baird and both Gareths, and Kel and Dom to get Sir Wyldon. He also requested that Shinko get her husband, Prince Roald, that Buri and Raoul bring Evin Larse, Onua Chamtong, and Sarge, and that Myles get the current training master, Sir Padraig ha Minch. Than he sent them away.  
  
Once everyone but Thayet, Tammy and the teens were gone, Jon started to speak. "All right, this is going to be interesting." He sighed. "I need to know what magic you people have, so that there aren't any more accidents like the one that happened this morning. Also, I need to know if you have any intention of leaving soon. Preferably very soon." THAT sentence was met with challenging stares. Jon and Thayet exchanged glances. He sighed again. "Okay, well then, I need to know what you want to do while you're here. I also need you to throw away anything you have that comes from. . . Earth. Is that the right word?" He glanced at a very subdued Tammy, who nodded. "All right. Okay, all of you need to tell me what you want to do."  
  
The girls all started to talk at once. "Not all at once!" They shut up. Just then, all of the people he had requested got there at once. They made an awful lot of noise. "Quiet!" came Jon's voice, cutting through the noise of about 50 people. "First, Uncle Gareth, how are you?"  
  
"I'm fine, though that magic gave me a bad shock. What was that?"  
  
"Well, we know who it was and what happened, but we need to train the people. So, I need everyone to be tested for the gift, wild magic, and the sight."  
  
Tammy spoke up. "Blaize and Coffee Lee both have the gift, Maddy has the sight, and Skye has wild magic. Other than that, I don't know yet."  
  
"All right, then. You'll all need to be tested for strength. Daine, would you check everyone else?" Daine gripped the silver claw she wore around her neck. All of the girls stared at it, fascinated by a magical object that they knew so much about, and yet knew nothing about at all. Daine pointed to Skye, Kaddy, and a girl Tammy didn't know yet, indicating that she saw the telltale signs of copper fire in them.  
  
"I'm Jamie," said the girl. "You mean I can speak to animals? That's really cool!" Daine spoke, "You'll all be training with me, mainly, and Numair a little." All three of her students-to-be wore satisfied smiles and looked adoringly at Daine.  
  
Jon gestured to Alanna, Duke Baird, the chief palace healer, Numair, and Harailt of Aili, Dean of the Royal University. All four of them looked over the teens, including those near Daine. Duke Baird pointed first, at a girl who hadn't spoken yet. "She's a natural healer, and a strong one too, though completely untrained." Alanna nodded to confirm his statement. "What's your name?"  
  
"Kate, my lord." She glanced at Duke Baird. "You mean, I can heal people?" He nodded. "Wow!"  
  
"That's all well and good, but we need to find the rest of the people with the gift. Who knows they have it?" Blaize and Coffee Lee raised their hands. "Good."  
  
Numair was looking around at the mob. "That one is extremely strong, and so is the healer. Neither of you should do anything but magic." He had gestured to Blaize. "Cool! I've always loved magic, but I never knew I could do it! And doing just magic is just fine." was her response. Kate nodded her confirmation.  
  
Harailt was looking around. "Those three are somewhere in the middle, not weak or strong, so they could conceivably do something else as well. However, they will need training." He pointed at Amy, Martina, and another girl. The other girl spoke: "I'm Max, and I don't think I want to do anything else."  
  
"Me neither!" said Amy. Martina also nodded her confirmation.  
  
"Anyone else?" asked Jon. Alanna nodded. "Her, her, and her," she replied, gesturing to Coffee Lee, Angel, and Brooke. "All of you are weak, though, so you'd be best training your gift while doing something else." The three girls nodded, looking a bit disappointed that their gifts weren't stronger. However, all three of them brightened at the fact that they would be able to train as knights or riders.  
  
"That's it for the gift?" All of those with the gift nodded. "Good, that means no overlaps with wild magic. So, who wants to"  
  
He was interrupted by George, who said "Jon, what about the sight?" Jon looked a bit ashamed, then nodded to George to figure it out. "The two of you have it." He pointed at Krizsta and Maddy. "Surprised I know? I got the sight from my mother, and so I can tell when someone else has it." The two girls looked shocked. "However, the sight doesn't interfere with other things the way the gift and wild magic do. So, you can both do other things as well." Maddy looked considerably happier at that; apparently she wanted to do something else as well.  
  
"All right, now that we've covered all types of magic, those who don't have wild magic or a relatively strong gift will need another job. You're all old enough to get married, but I think that most of you want to do other things. Am I right?" Everyone nodded. Jon turned to the rest of his people. That's why you're here. You'll need to introduce these people to the rest of your students." They all nodded, than looked expectantly at the girls. A silent conference went on between them all, then one of them spoke.  
  
"I'm Lady Fire Eyes, and I'd like to join the Riders. I know that Maddy, Carla, and Angel also wanted to, so I guess that's us." "Anyone else?" asked Buri. She stood with the others who worked for the riders, namely Onua, Sarge, and Evin. Everyone else shook their heads. "Hmm, let's see, you have the gift, so we'll train you. Fine?" Angel nodded, ready to join the riders.  
  
Tina spoke. "I'm Tina, and I'd like to be a thief, but I don't think that's possible. Is there any way I could?" George and Myles had a soundless exchange, than Myles spoke. "Well, my dear, you can't be a true thief, but you can join the spy network and pretend to be one. Is that all right?" Tina nodded.  
  
Another girl spoke. "We'd like to do that as well. My name is Lani and she's Zoe." Someone else talked, as well. "I'm Megan, and that sounds really fun. Could I?" Myles looked at them, and said, "Well, you can't all be thieves, but you can join the intelligence network, though I'll need you to blend into different levels of society." All three girls nodded, looking very happy.  
  
Jon called Padraig ha Minch forwards. "This is Sir Padraig ha Minch, the head of the pages here. Who would like to join them? People with weak gifts can learn in our magic classes, so don't feel excluded." Four girls raised their hands, including Brooke and Coffee Lee. Anita, who was raising her hand, spoke, "That sounds really fun. I know it'll be hard, but I'd like to do it." Raganas, the last girl with her arm up, nodded her head in agreement.  
  
Then, Krizsta, who hadn't yet joined a group, spoke. "I'd sort of like to be a knight, but I think I'm too old. However, I'm not too old to be a Queen's Lady, and that sounds very fun." Jon glanced at Thayet, who nodded, and Thayet said: "I'd be glad to have a Lady with the sight." Krizsta smiled. So did Tammy; it looked like she was off the hook.  
  
"All right, then, everyone follow your teacher. Time to start lessons." Jon walked away, and each teen followed her respective instructor. Tammy sighed and slipped away when no one was looking. She returned to her room, to find that Rose had cleaned it until it looked almost new. She glanced into the dressing room; her exhausted servant had cried herself to sleep. Tammy shook her head, then went to bed herself.  
  
In the training yard, everyone split up. . .  
  
  
  
To all the fans: I have decided that I will be accepting no more applications to be in my story as someone from Earth, because juggling 21 of you and multitudes of TP and made-up characters will drive me crazy enough. However, you can be a Tortallan; I would need to know which area you'll be working in. Oh, please don't expect more than one chapter in the next few days; it's Yom Kippur, so I'll be living at synagogue, and I doubt I'll feel like writing after not eating for 25 hours. Also, I have an insane amount of homework (college profs are insane) and since I'm taking off a day and a half from classes, completing it and catching up will be a challenge. However, I will try valiantly to write more, so please keep the reviews coming! RoseFyre 


	6. Intoductions

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace  
  
Disclaimer: Well, I can't really say I own nothing, so I'll just say that I don't own everything.  
  
  
  
12:00, Corus, The Stables  
  
Daine led her group into Cloud's stall, warning Cloud that all of them had wild magic. So? Asked the pony. You do, too. Daine replied that she didn't know how powerful each of them was, and that Cloud would be a good person to figure that out with. You don't know? Snorted the pony. So you finally admit that People are better than humans at something? Daine laughed, a bit ashamed at being mocked by her pony.  
  
All three of the girls stared, wide-eyed, at Daine and Cloud. It was quite obvious that each of them had understood at least part of the conversation, if not all of it. Daine ruffled the pony's mane, to a growled response, and then began to speak.  
  
"Well, considering that I'm the strongest wild mage in the world, it makes sense for me to teach you. The first thing you'll learn, with Cloud, my pony, who has a lot of experience with humans, is how to speak to animals with your minds. You probably already have some experience with this, as anyone with wild magic can hear animals, though you've probably only talked to them out loud before." The girls exchanged nervous glances, realizing that Daine thought they had grown up with the magic. Daine continued. "If your magic is strong, than you'll progress onto later stages."  
  
"So, what do we do?" asked Jamie.  
  
"Well, you call Cloud with your mind, NOT with your voice." The girls tried. And tried. And tried. It took them a long time, but by the end of the afternoon, each of them had managed to do so. At around five o'clock, Neal came by with messages from the king. As soon as he was near, Kaddy ran up to him and started speaking. "Oh, my God, Neal! I've read so much about you, it's so nice to finally meet you" That was when Skye elbowed her.  
  
Neal replied: "How could you have read about me? I'm not famous, even though I DID help Kel get rid of the killing machines."  
  
"Umm, Lady Tamora wrote about that, and we all read her account," replied Skye.  
  
"Who's Lady Tamora?" Neal seemed a bit confused.  
  
"She keeps records for the king," replied Jamie.  
  
"But she's not at court very much," added Kaddy.  
  
"Oh, of course. Well, the king wants the three of you to meet him in his meeting room at six." Neal left, with all three sets of eyes following his every movement. Then Daine spoke.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll need to show you where that is. You've all made very good progress, and I think that you're all at about the same level, though Skye seems the strongest and Jamie seems the weakest, though there isn't that much difference between any of you." She walked towards the palace, and the girls followed.  
  
  
  
12:00, Corus, Duke Baird's Sitting Room  
  
As the Duke, Numair, Alanna, and the five girls entered, purple and black strands of fire covered all of the entrances to the room. Numair and Alanna were shielding them.  
  
Alanna started. "All right, all of you have decent gifts, so you're going to concentrate on training them. Kate will be working with Duke Baird quite a bit, because she's a healer, and the rest of you will be with me and Numair more of the time. However, during the mornings, you'll all be together, working on improving your skills. I think that today we'll start with calling fire, since Jon said you'd had no training at all." She seemed a bit stunned, though all five teens knew quite well that she had taught two people with no training whatsoever how to manage their gifts.  
  
The afternoon sped by as each girl learned to call fire towards her. All of them seemed mesmerized by Alanna, hanging on her every word. Numair didn't have quite the same effect, and Duke Baird had left very early, telling Kate that he'd start training her once she had mastered the basics.  
  
"There!" said Martina as she lit a fire on the wood in the fireplace. "I've got it!"  
  
"Very good, Martina," answered Alanna, looking up from setting up wood in another corner. "All right, let's all try it."  
  
First was Max. She pushed her gift, the same blue-gray color as her eyes, at the wood, and watched it light. "Oh, wow, that was cool! I wish I had been able to do that before!" was her reaction.  
  
"Nice, Max," said Kate, as she proceeded to do the same thing with her teal gift.  
  
Numair spoke. "Hmm, that's a bit weak. I think that all your magic is in healing, so you won't be able to do much else."  
  
"That's all right; healing is great." She finished burning the wood. Martina tried again, turning both the air and the wood magenta. Blaize tried next, and, since she had already used fire earlier that day, didn't have too much trouble throwing out green flames. Last was Amy, with her peach-colored gift. She had watched everyone, and found that it wasn't a problem to imitate what they did and light the wood. Everyone was so absorbed in the exercise that no one noticed when the first knock came. Or the second.  
  
They were all surprised when Neal barged into the room. "Hi, I'm playing messenger for the king. He wants all five of you in his meeting room in forty-five minutes." Amy looked at him and sighed contentedly. So did the others. Neal suddenly realized that five pairs of eyes were eyeing him, as though they wanted to eat him. A bit stunned, he quickly closed the door behind him.  
  
"Well, girls, you need to get ready. I'll show you where to go," said Alanna, as she got up and stretched.  
  
  
  
12:00, Corus, The Rider's Barracks  
  
"Well, here's where you'll be living," said Buri, showing them a room with eight beds in it. The four girls looked around. There were eight beds, eight dressers, and two closets. Half of them were covered; the other half were waiting for them.  
  
"All right. We started training this week, but I think you can catch up if you work hard."  
  
"I'm willing," responded Angel. "Me too," said Carla. Both Maddy and Lady Fire Eyes echoed them.  
  
"Good. I need to take you to choose ponies." She led them out into the yard, to where the ponies were milling about. The girls could see people riding in the distance, and they realized that those were the other trainees. Onua was waiting by the yard, and she took the girls from Buri.  
  
"You'll need two, one for the afternoon and one for the morning." Onua let them into the pen and helped the girls pick. By the end of the afternoon, each girl had two ponies following her around, and Onua realized they were getting tired. She was just about to let them go eat when Neal came up to the fence.  
  
"Hey, Onua."  
  
"Hey, Neal. What are you doing down here?"  
  
"King Jonathan sent me to tell you to bring the girls to his sitting room in 35 minutes." He entered the yard. "Something strange is going on with you people. All of you girls are staring at me."  
  
"Well, you're cute!" replied Maddy, stunning everyone, including herself. "Oh, my God, I just put my foot in my mouth, didn't I?"  
  
"Yeah, you did," replied Carla. "Oh, well, it's okay." Neal gave them all a strange look and walked away.  
  
"Well, then, you need to wash and get changed. I'll groom the ponies, and then I'll take you to see the king," said Onua, as she began to lead the ponies away. The girls trudged back to the barracks, completely exhausted.  
  
  
  
12:00, Corus, Myles' Apartments  
  
Myles and George led the girls into the sitting room. The four of them looked a bit apprehensive, since, even though they had each read every single one of Tamora Pierce's books, they didn't know very much about the spy network except who ran it.  
  
Megan started talking. "I'm interested in this spying stuff, but could you please explain it a bit better? I'm not sure what it entails."  
  
"Yeah. Do we, like, pretend to be different types of people and listen to conversations, or what?" asked Lani.  
  
Myles glanced at George, who spoke. "Well, that's pretty much what you do. You have to be able to fight, so that if there's a problem, you can get out with your information. You'll also have to learn all of our symbols, and details for the area you spy in."  
  
Myles cut in. "Are there any preferences for where you want to work? Tina, I know you want to be a thief, but what about everyone else?"  
  
"That's a hard decision," said Megan. "Maybe I could work as a servant for people you want to know about?"  
  
"I suppose so, but I do need one of you to pass yourself off as a noble." Zoe and Lani looked at each other. "I'll do it," responded Zoe. "Excellent," replied Myles. "You'll need to know a lot of pointless titles, but you will have a good time. And you?" he asked, turning to Lani.  
  
"Well, I sort of want to be a knight, so maybe I could, hmm. . ."  
  
George came to her rescue. "Why don't you pass yourself off as a mercenary? We need people near the army," he told Myles, when the older man frowned.  
  
"You're right, of course. Well, now that we've decided what you'll be doing, why don't we start learning the ways you can tell someone works for me?" They spent the rest of the afternoon doing just that, until Neal came in at about 5:35. All of the girls followed him with their eyes, as everyone else had done.  
  
"Hello, Sir Myles. I was sent to tell the girls that they have to be in the king's sitting room at six. Will you bring them there?" He was working very hard at ignoring the girls.  
  
"Certainly, Neal. We'll be there," replied Myles. Neal left, and Myles got up, yawning. "Well, that's it for today. To the sitting room, and then I'll see you all tomorrow."  
  
  
  
12:00, Corus, The Pages' Wing  
  
The four girls followed Sir Padraig ha Minch. He showed each of them a room, all in one section of the wing. "This is the girls' section. There are two others besides you four, so you'll all be bathing together instead of with the boys. Now, follow me." He led them to an empty common room. "This is the pages' common room. For now, I need to tell you about life here at the palace."  
  
He was interrupted by Brooke, who asked: "Will we be the oldest first year pages?" All four of them looked worried.  
  
"Yes, you will be, but not by much. Though everyone thinks that all boys start at 10, many of them wait a little longer so their parents can save up enough money."  
  
"Oh," was her reply. He began to tell them about their classes, and sponsors, and other sorts of information. After 5 ¾ hours, as Sir Padraig was just finishing telling Coffee Lee and Brooke about training their magic, Neal came in.  
  
"Hello, Sir Padraig."  
  
"Hello, Sir Nealan."  
  
"I've been sent to tell these girls to come to the king's sitting room. They have fifteen minutes to get there." Neal, again, ignored the staring eyes, though he couldn't quite ignore Raganas' sigh. He glanced at her, than almost ran out the door. Sir Padraig got up.  
  
"Well, girls, it won't do to keep the king waiting." He led them out the door.  
  
  
  
12:00, Corus, Thayet's Sitting Room  
  
Krizsta looked around as she entered the splendid room. She sat down when Thayet motioned for her to. She saw another woman, who looked to be about 25, enter the room.  
  
"Krizsta, this is Uline of Hannalof, now married to Kieren ha Minch," said the queen. Krizsta recognized the name; Uline was one of Neal's crushes. "She'll be telling you what my ladies do, since I have other business to attend to." With that, Thayet left. The two sized each other up. Then Uline spoke.  
  
"Well, we Queen's Ladies assist Thayet in everything. We go to parties and dance, then we go and fight spidrens. Life can be quite interesting. Are you a noble?"  
  
Krizsta was a bit fazed. "I-um-oh. . ."  
  
"Well, it's fine if you aren't, though most of us are. It's easier if you already know the basics. I think, though, that I should teach you most of the major dances."  
  
"Yes, that might be a good idea; I'm not too certain of what I do know."  
  
"Well, it won't be too hard. This is the basic waltz." Uline showed Krizsta how to dance, and, after about two hours, she told her about the other ladies in the group. That conversation was quite fascinating, so neither of them had noticed the time for a long while when Neal came in.  
  
"Hello, Neal," said Uline.  
  
"Hello, Lady Uline. I'm here for. . . Krizsta. Is that your name?" She nodded. "Wow. This is weird. You're the first girl who hasn't stared at me." Krizsta laughed. "Well, Krizsta, I need to bring you to the king's sitting room in five minutes. He's called a meeting."  
  
Krizsta got up and followed Neal down the hall to Jon's sitting room. When she got there, everyone was waiting. They all went inside.  
  
  
  
Wow. That was a long chapter. I can't believe I wrote that on Yom Kippur. Oh, well. I need suggestions! I'm starting to run out of ideas! Please review, people. I can't write until you do! Also, tell me what you think.  
  
RoseFyre 


	7. To See The King, And, Finally, To Bed

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one! No one!  
  
Wait. I do own some people, and in a few chapter's I'll own more. Oh well. My bad.  
  
  
  
6:00, Corus, Jon's Sitting Room  
  
Tammy looked around and counted heads-20, no, 21 of them were there. Wow. 21 insane teenagers who had forced her to bring them to Tortall not even a day ago. It stunned her, knowing what had happened in a day.  
  
Jon walked in, sat down, and cleared his throat. He and Tammy were the only adults in the room. Everyone quieted down, but not necessarily respectfully. He glared around the room until they were completely silent.  
  
"Tammy, I think you should begin."  
  
She breathed in quickly, then began to speak. "All right, so you've started training. I need to tell you some things about the differences between here and Earth. First of all, no TV, no radio, no movies. No flushing toilets, no showers, and no medicines. Tortall is essentially very much like medieval England. No cars, no trains, no planes. There are boats, but they're powered by magic or oars or sails, not steam or coal. Also, knights have power here, there's still a nobility, and the majority of the population slaves away as peasants. However, there is magic. Wild magic, the gift, and the sight. And that is what makes Tortall different from Earth."  
  
She paused for a moment, and Tina raised her hand. "Umm, I was wondering about time here. Like, will a day here be a day on Earth? Because, by now, my Mom is probably freaking." Tammy glanced around, noticing worried looks on many faces.  
  
"Actually, Tina, it doesn't. For someone from Earth, a month here is an hour there. For someone from Tortall, a month there is an hour here. However, when the worlds are balanced, and no one is in the wrong place, time passes at the same speed." Everyone nodded, though some still looked a little confused. "Any more questions?"  
  
"How long can we stay?" That one came from Brooke. Tammy was a little stunned; even though she loved Tortall, and in many ways felt that it was more her home than anywhere else, she had never wanted to stay indefinitely-after all, she had a husband and a home. She looked at Jon.  
  
"Well, umm, I don't know. Well, what I mean is that no one here knows you're from Earth. If you don't tell anybody, you can stay until you decide to leave, but if you do, I'm kicking you out."  
  
"But, we'll just return," said Max.  
  
"If I need to, I'll have Numair place a spell on you that will, if you're ever in Tortall, make you turn maroon. People would report a maroon person to the authorities, who will know to tell me." That shut the girls up.  
  
"Anyone else?"  
  
"Yeah-why don't I need my glasses here?" asked Kaddy.  
  
Tammy answered. "Well, actually, I'm not quite sure of that one. All I know is that it has something to do with all the magic that's floating around. You've all read all my books; I'm sure you've noticed that no one has glasses when most people do on Earth. Honestly, I don't know why."  
  
Jon looked a bit confused. "What are glasses?"  
  
"These," said Kaddy, and she took out a pair and showed them to him.  
  
Lady Fire Eyes cut in with "They help you see better."  
  
"Okay." He still looked confused, but he handed the glasses back to Kaddy, who put them away. "All right, then. You need to keep on training, and you HAVE TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT EARTH. Okay?"  
  
They nodded. Tammy cut in. "And, please, keep quiet about my books. I write records; that's what people know. Also, I'm a lady. I don't have a fief, but I'm still a noble. Who knows what you'll be?"  
  
"Wait! Is-is Dom available? We all want to know!" Maddy was almost yelling in her enthusiasm.  
  
"Actually, no." All of the girls sighed and some of them tried to keep from crying. "He and Kel are-well, they're going out, but not quite."  
  
Jon, again, looked completely out of it. Then, of course, he remembered the books, and he sighed. That was when Quinden stormed into the room, followed closely by Sir Owen of Jesslaw. (A/N: He's a knight by now-the story is about a year after Lady Knight.)  
  
"Your Majesty, I was walking around this morning when I was assaulted" Quinden stopped suddenly. Not surprisingly, considering that he was being glared at by 22 pairs of eyes. He gulped and bowed.  
  
"Your Majesty, I was guarding the door, like you told me to, when he came barging in here, so I followed him."  
  
"Owen, you're fine. Go and guard the door." Owen left. "Now, Quinden, what happened?"  
  
"Can we discuss it away from-them?" he asked. "They're not nice people."  
  
"Your Majesty," interrupted Tammy. "He assaulted my maid again."  
  
"Again?" Quinden blanched, with the force of the king's glare added to Tammy's and the girls'. "I though I told you to leave her alone. Do I have to punish you this time, or will you leave court?"  
  
"Can I at least have my rooms moved? I don't want to be near-her." Quinden obviously had no respect for Tammy, as she didn't seem to have a husband, and she was rarely at court.  
  
"Get out." Though Jon's voice was quiet, it was extremely forceful. And the eyes were still glaring. Quinden gulped and left, running away quickly. "Well, then, now that THAT'S settled. . ."  
  
Tammy spoke. "Look, girls, you need to get some rest. Have dinner with your groups, then go to bed. I'll speak to you all in the morning."  
  
The girls nodded, then walked away. "Oh, wait, Krizsta, you're with Myles' group, since the queen is busy. However, I'll have Rose show you to your room; it's in a different wing." Krizsta nodded, then left, following Megan and Lani.  
  
Once they had all left, Tammy collapsed into a chair. "Look, Jon, I'm sorry about all this. I didn't mean for them to come-I"  
  
"I know."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Thank God. Or the Goddess, or Mithros, or whoever. It doesn't really matter."  
  
"Look, Tamora, you're forgiven, if you do one thing."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Help me deal with them, and impress upon them that Earth is forbidden." She nodded, clearly in agreement with him on that point. "Very well then, you're dismissed. Go and have some fun; you've had an insane day."  
  
"Yeah." She left. Jon leaned back and sighed, knowing that he had to be lenient and firm at the same time, and hating every minute of it.  
  
  
  
10:00, Corus, The Stables  
  
"So, Daine, where are we sleeping?" asked an exhausted Jamie.  
  
"Upstairs, in the loft, where you can be near the animals."  
  
"Oh, good," came the response. All three sleepily followed Daine up the ladder, dragging their things. Completely worn out, they fell asleep immediately.  
  
  
  
10:00, Corus, Numair's Rooms  
  
"Well, magelets, you look like you're in need of a respite," said Numair.  
  
"Can you repeat that?" asked Martina.  
  
"Well, magelets, you look like you're in need of a respite."  
  
"Actually, I think she meant for you to say it in simpler terms."  
  
"Oh, young mages in training, you look like you need to go to sleep." That phrasing was meant with Oh!s and Ah!s, as the girls finally understood what the impossible mage meant.  
  
Then Amy spoke. "Umm, actually, I think that Blaize already fell asleep. Maybe it was your insane language, but. . ." Numair glared at her, then carried Blaize to the room next door. "Here's where you'll be sleeping." He showed the exhausted girls into a large suite, each room having one bed in it. He placed Blaize on the first bed, then shooed the other girls into the suite. They complied and fell asleep immediately.  
  
  
  
10:00, Corus, The Rider's Barracks  
  
The four girls trudged up to their room, exhausted. All of the beds were still empty, so they got into the other ones. Angel was the only one to speak before they all dropped off.  
  
"I'm really glad I did this."  
  
  
  
10:00, Corus, Myles' Apartments  
  
After a lengthy diatribe on the noble houses, which was actually much more interesting than any of the girls expected it to be, Myles suddenly said, "I think you're all exhausted." They nodded. "Well, you're sleeping in the rooms across the hall; luckily they're available."  
  
Zoe spoke. "Umm, what time do we need to get up?"  
  
"Oh, later than most of the others. About, well, I'd say 9:00, since I want you to come to my history class with the pages at 9:30." They all nodded, looking a bit satisfied that they got to sleep relatively late. Without any further ado, all of them walked across the hall and fell into their beds.  
  
  
  
10:00, Corus, The Pages' Wing  
  
The girls walked back, tired from a day of speeches and excitement. Anita said, "Wow. I still can't believe we're here! My God."  
  
"Yeah, Anita, me neither," answered Raganas. "None of it seems real." She was echoed by the other girls. Each of them walked into a different room, with a parting 'Good Night.' Once in bed, they were all out immediately.  
  
  
  
10:00, Corus, The Queen's Hallway  
  
Rose came to get Krizsta and bring her to her new room. She didn't speak at all; instead, she simply led the way. Once they got to the room, she handed Krizsta the key, then made to leave, all without talking.  
  
"Rose." Rose turned around. "Why are you so scared of us?" Rose looked away. "Did it have to do with that magic this morning? There's no need to be scared of us; we were only trying to help you." Rose glanced at her, then ran down the hallway. Krizsta sighed, still troubled over the incident, and determined to yell at Quinden at the first possible opportunity. Then, she too, went to sleep.  
  
  
  
To be continued (Once they all wake up)  
  
  
  
Wow. That was interesting. I kind of lost control, and Quinden entered in somehow. It was. . . interesting. Also, I can't believe that I wrote SEVEN chapters about one day. I find that kind of amazing. I hope I answered all of your questions on the differences between Earth and Tortall, but if I haven't, write them in reviews and I'll answer them in the future. Thank you all for your reviews, and I'm sorry if I'm disappointing people, but I'm trying to remain true to Tammy, so that's why I'm K/D and why dead people aren't coming back to life. I have some ideas of what I'm going to do, but I'm not sure yet. So, if you have any, don't hesitate to write them down. Also, if you have any suggestions for Tortallan names, I'll take them. Oh, and one more thing. If you don't have too many lines in any one chapter, it's because I'm trying to keep them even. So, you've had more in the past. Don't get upset. Please? Thanks! Review, please! RoseFyre 


	8. Studying

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
I  
  
Don't  
  
Own  
  
Anything.  
  
If you don't know that by now, you're really stupid.  
  
  
  
8:00, Corus, The Stables  
  
Skye, Kaddy, and Jamie woke up to the sounds of horses neighing. Very loudly. All three of them sat up in the same instant. Skye bumped her head on a rafter; her sleeping pad was right underneath one. "Ow." She rubbed her head, then turned to the other girls. "Wow! I can't believe we're still here!  
  
"Me neither," said Jamie. "I thought for a minute that it was all a dream." Kaddy nodded her agreement. Just then, Daine climbed into the loft, looking disgustingly refreshed for such an early hour.  
  
"Good morning!" she said, in a WAY too enthusiastic voice.  
  
"How can you LIKE the morning?" asked Kaddy, moaning as she got up.  
  
"Actually, I don't. But, I've been up for three hours, so I'm awake already." The three girls glared at her, still annoyed that she seemed so bright. "All right, get dressed, then come down to the stables. You're ready to start part two of your lessons-calling many animals at once." The girls smiled, starting to get out of bed and get dressed. All three of them wore practical breeches and tunics; there was no point in dressing fancy when one was dealing with animals.  
  
They spent the day calling animals, the next ordering them about, and so on. All three girls were quick learners once they had gotten past the barrier of the idea that talking to animals was silly. Skye progressed the farthest, as her gift was strongest, but Kaddy and Jamie weren't far behind. They had a fun time for a month, learning how to do everything except actually become animals. They also still hadn't learned all of the intricacies of healing them either, but Daine said that that wasn't extremely important. When they saw him, Numair agreed with her.  
  
They met people around the palace-Riders, squires, hostlers and the servants who worked with animals, and anyone who owned animals or wanted to get some. Once they even met a knight named Kel who had a bird with a broken wing that she needed Daine to fix.  
  
"So, these are your new apprentices, Daine?" she had asked, eyeing all three girls. All addicted to the books, they knew about Kel, and they wanted her to like them. Kel looked them over, then nodded, signaling that the girls looked good. That was one of their proudest moments.  
  
In the afternoons, they practiced weapons with Daine; she said that they needed time to replenish their magic. All of them became proficient, Kaddy being especially good with the bow and the others better with daggers. Tammy sometimes came to these sessions, surprising them with her skill with the daggers.  
  
"Of course I'm good," she had said. "A lady living on her own needs to be able to defend herself." Daine had nodded her agreement, then left, letting Tammy talk privately with the girls.  
  
"You all look good," she had said. "Life here seems to agree with you." The girls had nodded, clearly agreeing. "Still, you need to remember that no one here knows about Earth. . ." she had been interrupted by Kaddy.  
  
"Yeah, we already had a problem with that," she had said, glaring at Jamie. "She was drawing, and"  
  
"Hey, it wasn't MY fault that I didn't know they don't have pencils here," Kaddy cut in, clearly annoyed.  
  
"Guys, cut it. It's not important enough to be fighting over. And, anyway, now you know not to do it again," said Skye. Tammy had laughed, then warned them once more, making sure that they hadn't mentioned things like showers or TV. Then she had left, letting Daine take over once more. After a month, they were summoned to see the king once more.  
  
  
  
9:00, Corus, The Mages' Suite  
  
The girls woke up to the sound of knocks on their doors. Stumbling to the entranceways, they realized that there was no one at their doors. Instead, Numair was standing in the middle of the common room, using his magic to knock.  
  
"Good morning," he said, drawing more groans. They had had an exhausting day. "Get dressed, and then I can teach you more magic." Everyone brightened up, excited about that prospect. They hurried back into their rooms, dressing as quickly as possible. When they came out, they found Numair and Alanna waiting for them.  
  
Over the next month, they learned various things; each had different lessons according to her skill.  
  
Kate, of course, was a healer, so she healed. She wasn't able to do much else, but she did learn how to call light and fire. She was, however, a wizard at tending to wounds. In fact, once she was done, she was, in some ways, a better healer than Duke Baird, who was absolutely delighted to have her on his staff. She often hung around the Duke's rooms, hoping to catch a glimpse of Neal, and sometimes it worked.  
  
Blaize was a war mage. She could control a lot of fire at a time, and she was able to use it to kill whole armies. She could attack, and, when pressed, she could also defend. Another thing that she learned how to do was to spell weapons so that they would help the people who wielded them.  
  
Amy also had fire magic, but in a very different sense. She could create fire in places where it normally can't exist because of the lack of oxygen. She could also heat things up to any temperature. Another thing she was proficient in was light magic. Amy could make anything shine, even things that normally don't. Also, she could remove all light from a place, making others unable to see.  
  
Max had weather magic. She could call up winds and storms or make the day turn calm. Lighting came at her beckoning, as did rain and hail. She learned from a Bazhir shaman named Kara, who had come to visit Alanna and help her teach.  
  
Martina had a unique skill; she could make anything invisible. She couldn't turn a room dark, but she could make them think things weren't there when they were. Also, she could create illusions, making people see things that didn't really exist. She had a wonderful time with practical jokes.  
  
In the mornings they studied magic; in the afternoons they studied fighting. Though most of them would be able to defend themselves with magic alone, they all needed to be able to fight in case their gifts were used up. Kate wasn't a great fighter, but, since she was a healer, she could heal any wounds that she got. Martina and Blaize used bows and arrows, and Max was pretty good with knives. Amy surprised everyone by being best at hand-to-hand fighting. They learned quickly, got warnings from Tammy, and followed their new lives.  
  
They met others as well; mages, people with the gift who weren't mages, squires and pages, Riders. They learned how to deal with mages and non-mages, those who knew what to look for and those who didn't.  
  
After a month they still had a lot to learn, even though they had learned a lot, when they were summoned to see the king.  
  
  
  
7:00, Corus, The Riders' Barracks  
  
The four girls woke up to the sound of Sarge yelling: "TURN OUT!!" All of them jumped out of bed, got dressed in a minute, and went down to the yards. They ran a mile with the other trainees, then went to the mess hall. They ate, not really awake, then spent the morning working with their ponies.  
  
At midday, they finally talked to the four girls they shared a room with. Sitting at a table, Lady Fire Eyes, Maddy, Carla, and Angel learned about their roommates. Cerianne was from Port Caynn, and she had the gift, a very weak one in a deep shade of red. Juni and Bevi were twins from the Fief Dunlath, in the northwest of Tortall. Zoelle was from Tyra, a country where women didn't have many rights. All of them were almost as new as the four from Earth, so it wasn't that much of a problem.  
  
After lunch, they trained the other ponies, then ran again, then jumped into the baths. That was when Commander Buri sought them out.  
  
"How are you doing, girls? I know life must seem a bit insane, having come so recently."  
  
"It's fine. We're getting adjusted," replied Carla.  
  
"Yeah. Riding is a lot of fun, and the people are cool-um great," said Lady Fire Eyes, barely stopping herself from using an American slang term. Maddy and Angel nodded.  
  
"Good. Well, then make sure you follow Sarge's and my instructions, and you're responsible to Tamora. Jon has asked her to keep an eye on all of you." The girls exchanged looks, then nodded. Buri left then, letting them bathe alone. They bathed, ate dinner, then had lessons.  
  
Over the next month, the days falling into a regular pattern, they learned to fight from horseback and on foot, with and without weapons. They all loved the bow, and Maddy also became proficient with knives, and in using her Sight. Carla and Lady Fire Eyes were better with slings, and Angel spent more time dealing with her magic. Her magic was involved in making people obey her, a very useful skill.  
  
They also learned how to scout and draw maps, as well as to read them. They spent time on the road, meeting Evin Larse and Miri, both heads of companies. They fought with the Riders, but, after only a month, they weren't completely ready to do the full jobs of Riders.  
  
One day, they were summoned to a meeting with the king.  
  
  
  
9:00, Corus, The Spies' Suite  
  
The girls woke up to servants knocking on their doors. As they groggily sat up, Megan turned to Lani (they shared a room) and said, "Where ARE we?"  
  
Lani replied. "Megan, remember? We forced Tammy to bring us to Tortall?"  
  
"Oh, yeah." When they came out of their room, Zoe and Tina were in the common room, eating breakfast. At about 9:20, a page came by to bring the girls to Sir Myles' class. They followed the boy and sat on one side. They listened fervently, absorbing his talk on the wars of Tortall. During the later morning, they learned to fight.  
  
Each of them had to learn different things. Tina used knives and became very good at picking pockets, a skill she picked up from George. Zoe learned the bow and arrow and manners, as well as all of the noble families of Tortall. Megan used a dagger, one she could hide under a servant's uniform, and she learned how to do all of the chores that a common serving girl or maid would be expected to do. Lani learned a multitude of weapons, particularly the spear and the sword.  
  
During the afternoons, they learned the signs of the spy network and its secret locations. They also learned information about Tortall and its history. Myles, an astute man, had guessed that they weren't from Tortall, so he taught them all about life there. After a week, he started sending them out on short jobs, having them meet and interact with people they didn't know.  
  
They also learned how to look for information. Myles, and George, taught them how to tell where a person was from and his/her class. They also learned how to imitate people from all classes, though each spent the most time on the group she would infiltrate.  
  
Another interesting thing they learned was the history of the countries surrounding Tortall and ways to imitate people from those places.  
  
After about three weeks, Tammy came and warned them about leaking information about Earth. Luckily, none of them had made any mistakes, though, as Tina wryly remarked, "I think Myles knows that we're from Earth anyway. He doesn't say anything, but. . ."  
  
Tammy answered, "Yes, I think you're right. You remember, after all, that he guessed Alanna was a girl ages before she ever told him. I think he realizes that you're from a different world, but he doesn't know exactly where, and I think, to please Jon, we need to keep that away from him for a while." The girls nodded, and Tammy continued on her way.  
  
After a month, all four girls knew a lot, but not enough to be completely convincing, when they were asked to go see the king.  
  
  
  
7:00, Corus, The Pages' Wing  
  
The girls were woken up by the sounds of birds chirping. Once they had gotten out of be, they got dressed and went into the hallway. They followed the stream of boys running towards the dining hall, then joined the two girls who were following more sedately. They sat with the girls. Fiona, the older of the two, was dark and quiet, but obviously determined to be a knight. Lozi was slightly younger, and much more lively. She chattered away, obviously pleased to have more female pages.  
  
The girls didn't get sponsors; Sir Padraig had changed the way of doing things. Instead, they hung out with Fiona and Lozi, learning from them.  
  
In the mornings they had classes-etiquette, reading and writing, math, and history. Brooke excelled at math, though she hated etiquette. Raganas was best at history, Anita at etiquette, even though she didn't love the class, and Coffee Lee at reading and writing. In the afternoons, they learned sword and staff fighting, as well as archery and wrestling. Eda Bell, the Shang Wildcat, was a great help to the girls. Tammy sometimes trained with them as well, and during one of these times she warned the girls about spilling their common secret.  
  
Meals were eaten quickly, baths were taken in haste. All in all, the four girls spent lots of time on their studies, both physical and mental. Brooke and Coffee Lee also learned how to use their gifts. Brooke's was in spying; she could learn what was going on in places where she was not. Coffee Lee, on the other hand, could use her small amounts of magic to make people want to follow her. She did have talents in fire as well, but those were not as strong. Raganas, though she didn't have magic, had an uncanny knack for being able to get people to believe whatever she said, even when it was something completely random. She also loved to spend time in the library, hoping to annoy random people who entered. One time, she had actually told Neal off. Anita spent the time they used to hone those skills learning all she could about the immortals and how to deal with them.  
  
Evenings were spent studying and learning new things. All of them had to work hard, even though they learned pretty quickly, but by the end of the first month they were in higher levels of the academic subjects and they were quickly passing the physical ones.  
  
However, that was when Jon came to see them.  
  
  
  
8:00, Corus, Krizsta's Rooms  
  
Krizsta woke up to knocking. She got out of bed and opened the door. Outside stood Uline.  
  
"Good morning. How are you?" Krizsta just groaned. "I know, it's hard to wake up early. But, I'm sure you'll have a good time. Get dressed, then we'll eat.  
  
When Krizsta came out of her room, Uline and the queen were calmly eating breakfast in the queen's sitting room.  
  
"Good morning, Krizsta," said the queen. "You'll be studying with Uline, learning how to ride, as well as all the manners that a lady needs to know. You'll dance, get fitted for dresses, but also know how to fight. Is that good?" Krizsta nodded, her mouth full of eggs. The queen left, saying, "I know where you're from, things are done differently." At that Krizsta's eyes widened. So the queen knew. "But, here, you'll follow my orders and you'll learn easier that way."  
  
"What did she mean by where you're from?" asked Uline curiously.  
  
"Umm, nothing. I, well, I'll explain another time-I promised the king I would keep quiet." Uline realized she would get nothing out of Krizsta.  
  
Over the next month, she learned how to dance, the correct titles for lords and ladies of varying degrees, and how to act polite even when she was extremely annoyed. She and Uline went for long rides and practiced with the bow and arrow. Krizsta also learned how to use her Sight. She found it a very useful skill. They got clothing for her, especially dresses that both looked nice and that she could ride in. Life was pretty good.  
  
Until, of course, she was called to see the king.  
  
  
  
In The King's Study. . .  
  
  
  
Sorry I took so long to post that one, but that was a long chapter, at seven full pages. Sorry that it was kind of boring, but I promise that something interesting will happen next chapter. They DID need some time to learn how to do things, so that when something actually does happen, they'll be able to at least TRY to fight it. Please review! I need your input! But, I do have the next chapter planned, so it should be up tomorrow. Or, wait, do I mean tonight? Yeah, it's 1:05, so tonight. Again, review!  
  
RoseFyre 


	9. Alarm!

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace,  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I still own nothing, except Rose and a few of their friends.  
  
  
  
6:00, Corus, The King's Sitting Room  
  
Tammy entered the room, looking around her. All 21 teens were there. How they have changed, she thought. All of them looked older, as well as more grown up. They also all looked confused, having thought that only their own group had been called. Also, they had no idea what was happening. But SHE knew. She knew why Jon had ordered them to be there, and she knew what was about to happen. She glanced at her watch, checking the date-exactly a month since they had arrived. So, an hour had passed back on Earth, and it was now one in the morning. That was, unless some Tortallans had crossed over. She knew of one entrance; who knew if there were others?  
  
Jon entered the room, and everyone fell silent. They all looked at him expectantly, in the uniforms that suited their line of work. He sat down with a stack of papers in front of him, shuffling through them. The door had closed behind him, signaling that he would be the last person to enter. The group consisted of him, Tammy, and the girls.  
  
"All right, I guess you're wondering why you're here." There were some nervous coughs, but, in their month at the palace, everyone had learned enough to know not to interrupt the king. "Well, we've had signs of trouble-Numair can sense when there is a magical disturbance, and he has sensed one. Someone with no training whatsoever is throwing around magic as though it's birdseed in Port Caynn. From the few reports I've gotten from spies," said Jon, looking through the papers, "this man claims to be from another world called," he struggled to pronounce it, "Cal-ee-for-nee- a. Tammy tells me that that place is on Earth. So, since you are the only people who know about the existence of other worlds, I need you to stop him from doing what he's doing and warn him about the dangers of introducing teck-noll-oh-gee to Tortall."  
  
"Will getting in be hard?" asked Lani.  
  
"Well, you won't be able to just walk in. You'll have to sneak in, using disguise, and use what you have learned in the past month to make it happen. You won't go alone-there will be knights, mages, a company of the King's Own, and a few Rider groups with you. However, they can't go into the city. They will guard the outside and make sure he doesn't try to take over more territory. However, getting the city back will be YOUR department. You may need to split up in order to accomplish this objective, so be prepared to work with everyone else."  
  
The girls glanced at each other, nervous. They had barely a month of training! None of them thought that they were prepared.  
  
"Also, Lady Tamora will be going with you. She knows a lot more about travel between the worlds than anyone else." The girls looked a little more relieved, now that an adult would be with them. However, Tammy looked a little upset; she had spent a month avoiding them unless it was necessary. Now, however, she would have to live with them.  
  
"You leave at dawn, so eat dinner and be ready to go." Jon got up and left, taking the papers with him. Suddenly, the room was awash with sound as everyone tried to talk at once. Tammy heard isolated phrases, but couldn't tell who said what.  
  
"Oh My God!"  
  
"Why us?" someone groaned.  
  
"I can't wait!"  
  
"Wait, I still don't understand. Who is this person?"  
  
"This is gonna be so cool, getting to fight without adults."  
  
There were many other statements made, and quite a few questions asked.  
  
"QUIET!!!" yelled Tammy, covering her ears. Everyone shut up and stared at her in shock. "I mean it. Now, does anyone have any questions on what to bring or anything else?"  
  
"Is the trapdoor into the stables the only entrance to this world?" asked Amy, curious.  
  
"I honestly don't know, but probably not. He must've gotten in somehow, and the horses would've known if there was a strange man in the stables."  
  
"What should we bring?" asked Martina, a pretty practical person.  
  
"Clothing-not anything too fancy, except for those of you who can spy as nobles. Breeches should be good for most of you, and no jewels. You'll need to bring things to prove you're from Earth, so this is where things like glasses and cd players can come in handy. Also, bring camping materials. You won't need food; the soldiers'll have that, and don't bother with tents and stuff. Bring your weapons and anything you need to perform magic. That's it, I think. Anything else?" Everyone shook their heads. "Good, then. I'll meet you at dawn tomorrow in the main courtyard."  
  
Tammy got up and left, and slowly the girls began to disperse, naturally falling into their normal groups. Krizsta circulated, thinking it all over; as the oldest, she wanted to make sure that everyone else's enthusiasm didn't completely overtake them.  
  
Skye, Kaddy, and Jamie were discussing using the animals to help, and debating the merits of each type. Skye fervently wished that she had learned how to become an animal, something that she knew she could do if she tried hard enough. She figured they'd have to learn on the road. They decided that they could at least go into animals' minds, getting into the castle and spying that way. However, that would be useless in most nice rooms; there were never many animals there.  
  
The mages were discussing various spells and making everyone immune to the spells the man had used to control the city. Blaize was thinking about preparing weapons and exploding people; if the man lost enough people, then he'd have to work harder at keeping them out. Amy wondered if she could remove light from the whole castle. It wouldn't stop a mage, but it would certainly hurt his servants. Max thought about tornadoes and whirlwinds, still not sure how big of one she could control. Martina was thinking about making illusions so that the man thought he had people there who weren't. Kate, of course, thought about healing. She knew she could heal to a certain extent, but she hadn't fully discovered the extent of her powers. She hoped the king would send another healer for the soldiers.  
  
Lady Fire Eyes, Maddy, Carla, and Angel discussed fighting with Brooke, Coffee Lee, Anita, and Raganas. They discussed different techniques, both on foot and on horseback, and how to defend other people who didn't have weapons or were busy doing something else. After a few minutes the mages separated and discussed magical techniques for spying and convincing people to follow you. Raganas participated in this discussion, talking about how she could convince people of anything, and Brooke backed her up. Maddy, meanwhile, had started a conversation with Krizsta about the Sight and using it to find out what would happen and what was happening in other places. Lady Fire Eyes, Carla, and Anita continued to discuss weapons, fighting, and dealing with their mounts.  
  
The spies discussed spying, as would be expected. Tina wondered if she could find out what was happening by way of the Rogue. Zoe was thinking about getting in as a "supporter" of the man, Megan wondered if she could join the serving staff and maybe poison his wine, and Lani had moved over to discuss fighting with the Riders and the pages.  
  
After about half an hour of this, the queen poked her head through the door and said, "Hey, girls, you need to go to bed. You have an early start tomorrow morning, and you need to eat and pack." Reluctantly, the girls stopped their conversations and returned to their rooms. They all tried to go to bed early, but none of them succeeded; they were all thinking far too much. That was, of course, until Alanna sent her magic out in a wave to engulf the whole palace, putting everyone to sleep. It was a spell that had been used on her and Faithful during the Tusaine War, and once she had woken up, she had immediately realized how to do it. She hadn't used that skill, since she didn't want to imitate Duke Roger in any way, but it was necessary that everyone, including Jon, get some rest.  
  
  
  
6:00, Corus, The Palace  
  
A loud sound, very similar to a gong, woke everyone up at 6:00, telling them that they had to get ready to meet at the courtyard. It took a little time, but by 6:30, everyone was mounted or in a wagon and ready to go. Not all of the girls could ride; some of them had spent more time learning things such as magic or spying, but they were still necessary, so they came in wagons.  
  
Everyone was shocked when they saw the figure riding behind Tammy. None of them had realized that Rose knew how to ride a horse! Tammy rode over to the teens, motioning for Rose to join Krizsta, and Max asked her, "Is Rose going to be of any help?"  
  
"Who knows?" answered Tammy. "She refused to stay once she knew I was going, and she is able to be a servant-maybe we can send her in. If nothing else, I bet she can cook better than most of these men."  
  
"Who are you calling bad cooks?" asked a young man who rode up near Tammy. "We've all had to learn on the road. Hey, Tamora." He came up to her and kissed her on the cheek. The man was red-headed and tall, looking very strong and ready for action.  
  
"Oh, girls, this is Sir Cleon of Kennan. Cleon, some friends of mine- the group that's going to infiltrate. Cleon is MARRIED to Lady Ermelian of Aminar," she said, shooting a warning glance at the girls.  
  
It didn't work. Maddy jumped off of her horse and ran up to him. "Cleon!" she screamed, hugging him hard. He was in shock. "How are you?"  
  
"Umm, I'm fine," he replied, unsure of what to do about the girl hanging onto his waist. By this point, a few others had also dismounted and were trying to hug him.  
  
"Girls!" yelled Tammy, trying to call them to order. They reluctantly obeyed her, remounting their horses. Cleon gave all of them a weird look, then said to Tammy: "Well, I'm leading a group, so I'll probably be seeing a lot of you." He rode away, looking back at the girls with a weird look on his face.  
  
"Oh, God," said Tammy. "Maddy, what was that?"  
  
"Sorry. I just. . ."  
  
"I know, I know, just don't do it again. Please." Maddy nodded.  
  
Meanwhile, Krizsta and Rose had been having a conversation. Or, rather, Krizsta had been talking and Rose had been sort of listening. Tammy saw the problem, collected Rose, then moved away.  
  
When Krizsta returned to the group, she had been asked about Rose, but she hadn't had much to tell.  
  
The trumpet blew, announcing the movement, and Coffee Lee sat straight up, saying, "Thank God we're finally moving. I'm so glad to be doing something! Come on guys!" she yelled, leading the pack, with everyone else close behind her. "Let's go chase a mage!"  
  
  
  
To be continued. . .  
  
  
  
  
  
That was a short chapter, but I DID manage to get it up in one day, so it isn't so bad. I should have two more up this weekend, but I can't guarantee anything. I hope you're all having a good time reading this, so please, please, read and review! One thing that I said in a review was that I'm doing 99% of this by memory-I only have two books here with me. One is Alanna: The First Adventure, and the other is Lady Knight. The first takes place too long ago to be of much use-everyone is dead or unimportant-and some people haven't read Lady Knight, so I don't want to spoil anything. Oh, well. That's life. Oh, another thing-they're cracking down on interactive fics-one of my friends can't upload anything for a week. So, I'm trying to be careful, which is why I changed the name. Please Review!  
  
RoseFyre 


	10. On The Road

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Own nothing. Am trying to keep everything true to Tammy.  
  
  
  
7:00, Tortall, Somewhere Between Corus And Port Caynn  
  
After riding for 12 and a half straight hours with only a short break for lunch, Raoul, who was leading the company, decided to stop for the night. They were about halfway to Port Caynn, and pressing onwards would do nothing but tire out the horses and the people. In the very large company were Raoul, Dom, and a company of the King's Own, 3 Rider Groups, led by Evin Larse, Cleon, Owen, Neal, Kel, Daine, Numair, Alanna, a few random mages, and some more knights.  
  
As they rode, the girls noticed that the groups tended to separate; Raoul and Alanna led the party, with Dom just a few paces behind, followed by the King's Own. The mages except for Neal and Numair came next, then the girls, Tammy, and Rose, then the knights, Daine and Numair were at the very rear, along with one of the Rider Groups. The other two Rider Groups ranged along the sides of the train, making sure the girls and mages were safe.  
  
When they stopped, everyone set up tents, the few people who weren't used to traveling that way joining those who were. There were three girls to a tent, but the tents were not arranged by group; each had at least one fighter and one mage. The first tent was Raganas, Amy, and Kaddy. The second was Angel, Brooke, and Tina. The third was Maddy, Coffee Lee, and Skye. The fourth was Carla, Martina, and Zoe. The fifth was Lady Fire Eyes, Max, and Jamie. The sixth was Anita, Blaize, and Megan. The seventh was Lani, Kate, and Krizsta.  
  
However, before anyone got into their tents, the group ate dinner together, a large circle near, but not with, the Tortallans. They ate quietly, not really used to the traveling or the idea that they would be going in to the city.  
  
Breaking the silence, Brooke spoke, "So, are we going to split up when we get there? I mean, we all do different things-will we be working together, or in smaller groups?"  
  
No one knew the answer, but Angel said, "Well, I don't know. I don't think 21 of us can all go in at once, but, if we separate by training group, then everyone with one type of training will be in one place, and we won't be effective."  
  
At that moment, Raoul, Alanna, Tammy, and Numair joined the group. The circle expanded to fit them, as well as Dom, Daine, Kel, Neal, Owen, Cleon, Evin, and Rose, who had also come. Alanna spoke, saying: "Actually, you're going to split up by tent. The fighters will need to defend the mages and those with other training once they're in the city. We decided that this would be the most effective way." The girls glanced at each other, thinking about the idea. "Now, Numair, Tammy, why don't you tell us what you know of this man."  
  
Numair spoke: "Well, he's taken over the entire city using his gift. He has a very strong gift which is apparently an olive green color. Not everyone is under his complete control; he doesn't have enough power for that. However, those in power are controlled by him, as is the entire army, and that's doing enough to scare the commoners into obedience."  
  
"Also," cut in Tammy, "He's introducing things that the people have never seen before that they shouldn't." Her look begged the girls not to comment. "These things need to be destroyed." The girls nodded, knowing that only they would recognize the Earth technology.  
  
"But, Lady Tamora, what do these things do?" asked Kel, a bit confused.  
  
"Many of them are weapons designed to destroy many people; others are things that will brainwash people into believing anything." The girls realized she meant TV, but Kel and the Tortallans still looked confused. "And, please, Kel, it's Tamora. I prefer not to use the title Lady." Kel nodded.  
  
"Tamora, does this person know about wild magic?" asked Daine. "Because that's where I'm most effective."  
  
"I don't think so." She glanced at Alanna for conformation, who shrugged.  
  
"So, umm, who's going in?" asked Owen.  
  
Alanna glanced at Numair. "The 21 girls are definitely going in, in their groups. Tamora and Rose may join them, but that's not certain. Almost everyone else will stay out, though Neal and I may be needed to heal." He nodded, glad that he wasn't going to be in the city.  
  
A few of the girls were still staring at Cleon, another group was watching Neal, and the rest looked at Dom. All three men were unnerved, considering that Cleon, the youngest, was five years older than Krizsta, the oldest girl. Anyway, she wasn't into him; he had never been one of her favorite characters.  
  
After dinner was finished, the Tortallans left, Tammy stayed, motioning to Rose to follow Alanna. "So, girls, I assume you know I meant guns and TV." The girls nodded; that was only being logical. "We need to prevent them from taking over Tortall. But, right now, you need to go to bed. It also might be a good idea to discuss your different talents with your groups." She got up and walked away as the girls got into their tents.  
  
8:00, Tortall, In The Tents  
  
Tent 1: Raganas, Amy, and Kaddy got out their bedrolls, smoothing them out in the middle of the tent. They started discussing their talents. Kaddy said, "I can get animals to do what I want them to."  
  
Then Raganas said, "Well, I can often convince people to do what I want them to, so if you can do that with animals, we're set."  
  
Amy asked, "What about people under magic?"  
  
"I doubt it. You're the once with magic, what do you think?"  
  
"No, you're probably right. Well, I'll try and use fire and darkness to confuse them."  
  
Tent 2: Angel, Brooke, and Tina started to change into their nightclothes. Brooke said, "I can spy with my magic-hear conversations that are going on elsewhere, and that sort of thing."  
  
"In magically guarded areas?" asked Tina.  
  
"No, I don't think so."  
  
"I can go in as a thief, but I'm useless in a castle."  
  
"I can get people to obey me," cut in Angel. "But probably not through magic."  
  
Tent 3: Maddy, Coffee Lee, and Skye were cleaning up their things. Coffee Lee asked, "Maddy, what does the Sight do?"  
  
"Well, I can sometimes tell what's going to happen, but not always. What's your gift?"  
  
"I can work with fire, and sometimes make people want to follow me, but not always."  
  
"And what about you, Skye?" asked Maddy.  
  
"Well, I can talk to animals, and I think, if necessary, I can become one."  
  
"Cool."  
  
Tent 4: Carla, Martina, and Zoe slowly got into their bedrolls. Once there, Zoe said, "I can probably get into the castle as a noble who wants to support the guy."  
  
"Maybe I can be your bodyguard!" said Carla, clearly excited at the prospect. "After all, I don't have any special talents."  
  
"Hmm, well, I'm able to confuse people with illusions and invisibility," said Martina.  
  
"That might actually be very useful," answered Zoe.  
  
"Yeah," said Carla.  
  
Tent 5: Lady Fire Eyes, Max, and Jamie were undressing when Lady Fire Eyes asked, "Jamie, what can you do with your magic?"  
  
Jamie answered, "Well, I can talk to animals and get them to spy for us. It doesn't work, though, if there aren't any animals there."  
  
"Max, what can you do?"  
  
"Umm, I'm a weather mage. I can create storms, remove rain. I'll probably make disruptions he'll need to deal with so he won't fight us."  
  
Tent 6: Anita, Blaize, and Megan began to lay out their bedrolls. Anita asked, "Blaize, where's your magic located?"  
  
"I'll probably be dealing with magicking weapons so they work better and doing some of the actual fighting. I'm a war mage, but without much experience. Megan, what do you do?"  
  
"I'll probably go in as a servant; that's what I've been trained for."  
  
"So I suppose I'm defending you both," said Anita.  
  
"Probably," agreed Megan. "After all, you can use weapons better than I can." Anita nodded.  
  
Tent 7: Lani, Kate, and Krizsta changed out of their clothing. Lani asked, "So, Kate, what do you do?"  
  
"I heal; I can fix most wounds, but not all of them. I can't fight much, and I think that's why they placed me with you guys; you both can."  
  
"So we're defending you."  
  
"Yup."  
  
"That's good," said Krizsta, "but I also can spy; as a Queen's Lady, I've been taught lots of things."  
  
"Great!" said Kate, "We might need you." They all nodded, and everyone went to bed.  
  
  
  
In the morning. . .  
  
  
  
There's chapter 10. Sorry I didn't get it up till 3:00 am, but the college server was down, so I couldn't upload. I hope you're all enjoying it. Maddy, I know you love Cleon, but I'm not killing his wife. You can in your fic if you want to, but I'm trying to remain as faithful to Tammy as possible, except for one or two things that I'm going to add in later. I don't think I can get another chapter up tomorrow-I have a paper and a composition due Monday morning. Thanks for bearing with me!  
  
RoseFyre 


	11. Entering Port Caynn

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I own Rose and the man, whose name I haven't made up yet, but everyone else is Tammy's or they belong to themselves. (I hope.)  
  
  
  
Author's Note: So, this is what I did during math class. Ah, the agonies of calculus. Yes, I'm going to keep it true to Tammy, the goddess of writing, so please don't ask me again. Krizsta, your question about the TV will get answered sometime during the fic, so I don't want to say now. Googlepuss, I had forgotten that (like I said, I don't have many of the books here) but didn't it say that it was half a day's ride for George, Marek, and Ercole? And weren't they people used to riding on fast horses? I figure it would take longer, since a lot of you are in wagons, and most of you on horses aren't used to riding them. Just pretend for a while. Tina, I don't know the answer, so I'm going to ask all of you. If you die in Tortall, can you come back to life? I know Thom brought Duke Roger back, so I think the answer might be yes, but if the life is magical, will you still be alive on Earth? And, is there anyone who COULD do that? Please answer-I won't kill anyone until I get at least 15 opinions. Everyone, thanks for your ideas, even the ones I don't use, and thanks for putting up with this extremely long author's note.  
  
RoseFyre  
  
  
  
7:00, Tortall, outside Port Caynn  
  
After riding for another twelve hours, the very large group finally arrived at the city, coming to a stop while still hidden by the forest around the walls. However, they wouldn't be hidden for long. Raoul and Alanna meant to engage the enemy once the girls were inside. With Numair and Alanna fighting together, they might be able to get the girls to find out information about the man, whose name they didn't know. Once they had that information, one of the girls might be able to kill him when he was vulnerable, or at least convince him that he was wrong. Raoul would lead the King's Own and the knights; Evin Larse would lead the riders. Dom would be with Raoul, and so would Kel, Cleon, and Owen. Neal would remain at camp, someone who could be trusted to run things without making a total mess; also, he might be needed for healing. Daine would help him, as well as acting as a contact for the people with wild magic. Tammy and Rose were also going in; with Tammy having magic and Rose knowing how to be a perfect servant, they would probably do fine.  
  
"Is everyone ready?" asked Alanna. Even though Raoul was technically in charge of the mission, she tended to take control, and he normally let her. Everyone nodded in agreement, and got ready to do their jobs. The men set up the camp as Numair and Alanna, assisted by Blaize and Max, readied a large bolt of magic in the form of a lightning bolt. Once they threw it out, Coffee Lee and Amy immediately formed protective circles around the entire camp. A large contingent of men rode out the gate and spread out; while they were out, the girls, using Martina's powers of invisibility, snuck in with Tammy and Rose. Once inside the city, they dropped the spell, splitting up into their groups and heading in different directions.  
  
Raganas, Amy, and Kaddy headed towards a large stable. It took Raganas only a few minutes to convince one of the hostlers that they were poor little girls who needed a place to stay. (It helped that none of them had horses, and that Raganas' sword was hidden.) Kaddy got the animals to let them in, and Amy quickly drew a protective circle, finally letting go of the one at the camp. Now they were able to talk freely.  
  
"Well, we can talk freely now," said Amy, gesturing to her protective circle. "So, what are we going to do?"  
  
"Well," said Kaddy, "Maybe if I can spy through animals, we can sneak Raganas into the castle and get her to convince people to join us?"  
  
"Sounds like a good idea to me," answered Raganas, "and, Amy, maybe you can protect Kaddy?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"What about the making things dark thing?" asked Raganas.  
  
"Umm, I hope I can do it from a distance."  
  
"Well, if you try and it doesn't work, then we'll have to think of something else," said Kaddy, settling the matter. The three girls lay down inside the protective circle, ready to get some sleep while they could. They knew that all hell would break loose in the morning.  
  
When the group split up, Angel, Brooke, and Tina headed for the thieves' section, an area Tina could pass in. They found a deserted alleyway and prepared to spend the night there, since they didn't think going inside would be a great idea, especially not with such valuable horses.  
  
"Here's your purse, Brooke," said Tina, flipping it out of her pocket.  
  
"Wait a minute. I had magic around that, so I don't know how you got to it."  
  
"You did?" asked Angel. "But I thought. . ."  
  
"Don't ask me," said Tina, "I didn't realize it was there."  
  
"That could be really useful," said Angel. "Maybe if you can steal information inside the castle, and I could get people to follow me. . ."  
  
"I can check ahead and make sure it's safe," put in Brooke.  
  
"Cool!" said Angel. "If we've got a plan." All three girls agreed quickly that that would work, resolving that Angel and Tina would go into the castle in the morning, with Brooke acting as a lookout.  
  
Maddy, Coffee Lee, and Skye headed for some kennels, knowing, through Maddy's Sight, that they'd be safe there. Skye talked to the dogs, warning them to be silent. The dogs agreed; animals trusted her, with her extremely large amount of wild magic.  
  
"Hey, Skye, can you possibly go in as an animal?" asked Coffee Lee.  
  
"I think so, though it might make more sense for me to go in with another animal first, then as myself. Why?"  
  
"Well, I though, that if you don't need me to guard your body, we can leave the bags here and I can go try and convince people to join us."  
  
"That's a good idea," cut in Maddy. "We'll need both of those things to win this, so I suppose I'm going to either stay here, which I'd rather not do, or help you two with your work."  
  
"Can you guard Coffee Lee from physical threats while she tries to rally people?" asked Skye.  
  
"I think so-after all, I am a Rider." The girls agreed that that was a good plan, though they would let Skye practice riding with an animal before she actually became one. Then, they bedded down for the night among the dogs.  
  
Carla, Martina, and Zoe headed straight for the castle, using Martina's gift and Carla's fighting skills to keep them safe. They were a group with horses, and they took full advantage of them. Zoe was dressed as a noble, with Martina's gift making her seem older than she really was. Carla and Martina were dressed as her bodyguards.  
  
They knocked on the gate to the castle, and a guard opened a small window to talk to them. "Who goes there?"  
  
"Lady Zoe of Genlith," answered Carla, "and her bodyguards."  
  
"And what does this lady want?"  
  
"She wishes a private audience with the master of this place," answered Martina.  
  
"Let the lady speak. Why?"  
  
"Well, sir, I thought I'd join the winning side for once. And your master, who is so powerful that none have learned his name, is certainly going to win." This seemed to appease the guard, who let the three girls in. He showed them to a suite of rooms and said, "The master will speak to you in the morning." Then, he left.  
  
"So, now what do we do?" asked Martina, after she had taken down her magic, letting herself have a chance to rest.  
  
"Well, we get information," answered Carla. "It's the only thing we can do. But, for now, let's go to bed." That idea was accepted enthusiastically, as all three girls got into bed, Zoe in one room and Carla and Martina in the room in front of hers.  
  
Lady Fire Eyes, Max, and Jamie also went towards the castle, but they stopped at a menagerie about halfway there. Jamie, like Kaddy and Skye, spoke to the animals, asking them to let them stay there. Of course, the animals said yes. Once settled, the girls began to lay out their bedrolls.  
  
"So, Lady Fire Eyes, what do you think we should do?" asked Max.  
  
"Well, maybe you can cause some kind of storm, Jamie can go in as an animal, and I can either fight my way in or guard you two."  
  
"That should work, but I need to be closer to the castle," answered Max.  
  
"As do I," said Jamie. "My magic isn't extremely strong."  
  
"Well, it should still work," said Lady Fire Eyes.  
  
"Yes, of course it should, if we're careful," answered Max. The others nodded, and they got into their bedrolls and went to bed, Jamie making sure the animals would guard them.  
  
Anita, Blaize, and Megan headed towards the castle, taking a completely different route. They eventually stopped in an alleyway. Blaize used her gift to make sure they would be fine, and she found out that they would. She drew a protective circle around them, letting them speak freely.  
  
"So, umm, what do we do now?" asked Anita.  
  
"Well, I need to get into the castle," said Megan. "What about you, Blaize?"  
  
"I would like to get nearer, especially so that I can help people with their weapons."  
  
"Right," said Anita. "Can you do my sword now?"  
  
"Sure." With a look of concentration, she pushed green fire at the sword. It lit up, then the fire died down, and she handed it to Anita, who took it, swung, and gasped.  
  
"Cool!"  
  
"Nice," said Megan. "Why don't we go to bed-Anita, why don't you guard Blaize and go in if necessary?" Anita and Blaize both agreed that it was a good idea, so the girls moved around their circle, setting things up, then going to bed.  
  
Lani, Kate, and Krizsta went away from the castle, even though they knew they would need to sneak in at some point. Leading their horses, Lani found a house that looked deserted. Kate put up a protective circle; it was one of the few things she could do other than heal, and the girls settled in.  
  
"So, what's the plan?" asked Lani.  
  
"Well, I need to be very near the castle, though I can't be in it," said Kate.  
  
"You mean, you need to be somewhere where people can get to you but you won't be caught?"  
  
"Yup. Krizsta, Lani, what do you do?"  
  
"Well," said Krizsta, "I could conceivably do what Zoe's doing; go in as a noble. My Sight is telling me I should. You need to heal, and maybe Lani could be my guard or join his army?"  
  
"Sounds good," answered Lani. They got into the vacant beds in the house and immediately fell asleep.  
  
Also in the city, Tammy and Rose walked towards the castle. They stopped at an inn, sharing a room. Once upstairs, Tammy put a protective circle around the room, enclosing them in an area that no one else could enter.  
  
"Rose, we need to go in and act as contacts; we'll need to help them. I can tell the king and Raoul what I know, so you're going to have to help me get that information." Rose nodded, even though she looked completely petrified.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
"Yes," said Rose, in a very quiet voice.  
  
"Okay, then, go to sleep, and we'll deal with everything in the morning." Rose nodded and got into bed.  
  
Back at camp, the Tortallans finished setting up. Even though both Any and Coffee Lee had cut off their protective circles, they were still safe, as Numair had put one up. They rested in preparation for the morning, knowing that, once the girls were inside, they would be fighting this mage's armies. They were quiet, ready to receive reports, as Alanna and Raoul told Jon and Thayet all that had happened. As the night fell, the soldiers slowly went to bed, with sentries guarding for physical attacks in case the magical barrier was broken. Numair and Daine shared a tent, but Kel and Cleon stayed separate. She knew he was married now, and she wasn't entirely unhappy; she didn't really love him anymore. Still, Kel was a bit jealous that he was actually falling in love with his wife, so she tried not to talk to him too much. Cleon stayed away from her because he didn't want to love her because he felt it was wrong. Owen and Neal watched their friends, hoping the break could be mended, even though they doubted it.  
  
The Next Morning. . .  
  
  
  
Well, there's chapter 11. Thanks for reading, and please review!!!  
  
RoseFyre 


	12. Infiltration

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: If you think I own anything except the storyline, you're crazy. Well, actually, I don't even own all of the story line.  
  
  
  
8:00, Port Caynn, The Camp  
  
Kel woke to the sounds of her sparrows singing. She was lying in a tent next to Dom, her lover. She smiled, as she always did, remembering the first time they had made love. It had been at New Hope, on the anniversary of its building. She fingered her pregnancy charm, thankful for it; she didn't want children yet. She knew she would want them at some point, just not yet. And Dom would insist they get married if she did, even though he couldn't get married until they were richer; he couldn't be in the King's Own with a wife. Raoul probably would've let him, but that would've caused problems, so, for now, they waited.  
  
She looked over at him, watching his chest rise and fall as he breathed. Then she heard the blast outside and cursed. "Dom, Dom, get up!" He groaned, rolling over. "Dom, that was the signal, we need to wake up, the girls are going in!" He suddenly sat up.  
  
"Oh Goddess! Come on, Kel." Dom got up and got dressed in seconds. Kel, too, was ready very quickly; she hadn't spent four years with the King's Own for nothing. They left the tent, leaving their stuff everywhere. As they went out, Kel noticed Daine and Numair emerging from their own tent, neither of them looking too happy at being woken up so early.  
  
She looked around, noticing Neal, Owen, Evin, the Lioness, and Raoul. Then her eyes met Cleon's. He looked at her, then looked away, blushing furiously, almost as though he was too ashamed to see her. She knew why; he was still in love with her, even though her feelings for him had faded over a year ago. He didn't hate his wife, even though he easily could have. Lady Ermelian was a nice woman, just not Kel. And he had had to marry her, even though he never wanted to. Kel, too, glanced away, using the excuse of feeding her sparrows and Jump.  
  
The group gathered, Numair and Alanna shielding the camp. "Everyone ready?" asked Raoul. "Yes sir," came the answer. Everyone mounted their horses, getting into their positions, ready to fight the mage's men. Raoul, Dom, Kel, Owen, and Cleon were going in with the rest of the King's Own; they would take the brunt of the fighting. Evin and the Riders would fight in smaller areas where an army wouldn't be of much use. Numair and Alanna moved closer to the walls, ready to use their magic to help fight. Daine called animals to her, asking them to spy for her. Neal paced the camp, annoyed that he wasn't fighting, yet knowing the necessity of having a healer ready. They took their positions, and the battle commenced, the mage's soldiers being most of the men of the city, with a few weaker mages on his side.  
  
  
  
8:00, Port Caynn  
  
Raganas snuck towards the castle, Kaddy and Amy following her. When they got nearby, Kaddy and Amy split off, hiding inside a stable. Kaddy easily got the animals to obey her, then called for cats to come to her. Cats were what her power was with the most; she had a closer bond to them than to any other type of animal. Many obeyed, but most of them wouldn't work inside a castle. Finally, she saw the right one. A boring grey, almost exactly the same color as the castle walls, the little cat was small enough to fit anywhere except a mousehole.  
  
"Amy, I'm going with her. Guard my body, but not until all of the cats are out of range."  
  
"Will do." With that, all of the cats left, including the one Kaddy had chosen. "Good luck!" Amy drew a protective circle, containing only Kaddy. She wanted to be accessible to Raganas.  
  
Raganas managed to convince the guard that she was looking for a job as a servant. He let her in, completely convinced that what she said was true. She smirked to herself, laughing at the idiocy of mages. They obviously knew nothing about training soldiers. Once she was inside the castle, she began talking to servants, trying to get them to go against the mage, though, with most of them under magical control, it took a lot more work than she expected.  
  
Kaddy trotted to the palace, talking to the cat, who said her name was Greya. They sneaked in easily, using a servant's entrance, and started searching the palace for the location of the mage's rooms.  
  
Meanwhile, Angel, Brooke, and Tina sat in the alley. Angel fed the horses as Brooke searched the castle with her magic.  
  
"Well, the center of the magic seems to be in the, uh, umm, north tower. I think."  
  
"You think it's in that tower?" asked Tina.  
  
"No, I know it's in that tower; I think it's the north one. It's between the stables and the main part of the castle." Brooke decided to rest, a bit tired out from her exertions. Tina and Angel walked towards the castle. Once there, Tina looked around, then saw a servants' entrance, and led Angel to it.  
  
"How did you know about this?" asked Angel.  
  
"Shh!" Tina put her finger over her mouth, got out a piece of metal, and inserted it into the lock. After about a minute, the door opened.  
  
"Where did you learn that?" Angel was being very quiet.  
  
"George. Come on." Tina led, and Angel obediently followed. Once inside, Tina went towards the tower, and Angel began to see if she could get some followers.  
  
In the kennels, Maddy, Skye, and Coffee Lee were holding a quick conference. Skye decided to go in with a mouse, sending out her senses until she found a good one inside the castle. The plain mouse, whose name was Apple, was perfectly willing to show her around. Skye would go in by herself, not with another animal, the next day. But, today, she went in with the mouse, using mouseholes to find her way around.  
  
Coffee Lee put a protective circle around Skye's body, then beckoned to Maddy to follow. They went to the castle, finding the unlocked servants' entrance that Tina and Angel had used. Coffee Lee went in, looking for people to convince to follow her. Maddy followed, clearly on her guard.  
  
"Where are we?" asked Maddy, looking a bit nervous, with her hands on her knives.  
  
"I don't know, but I think we're near the servants."  
  
"All right, you lead, I'll watch your back."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Meanwhile, Martina had woken up, immediately sensing someone at the door. Her gift refreshed, she quickly sent it to Zoe to disguise her. She made Zoe seem ugly, not sure if the mage would go after a pretty girl. She went over to Carla's bed and shook her.  
  
"What? Martina, what?"  
  
"There's someone here. You get Zoe dressed, I'll greet them."  
  
"Kay," said Carla, going to Zoe's room.  
  
Opening the door, Martina said, "Good morning," to the person on the other side of the door. Feeling the power radiating from him, she curtseyed, and said "my lord."  
  
"Hello, young lady. I came to meet your mistress."  
  
"Of course, sir, right this way." She led the man, surely the mage, towards Zoe's room. Luckily, by this point Zoe was dressed and ready to greet him.  
  
"Good day, sir."  
  
"Good day, miss. What, may I ask, is your name?"  
  
"Zoe of Genlith, my lord."  
  
"And why have you come here?"  
  
"I'd like to join the winning side, and you seem to be doing much better than the king. I've heard tell of some machine you have that makes people follow you."  
  
"Ah, yes, that is called television. I don't suppose you've heard of it?" he asked condescendingly.  
  
"No, I don't think so." Martina and Carla looked at each other. Zoe was doing a great job of lying through her teeth.  
  
"Well, then, would you like to come see it?" Zoe nodded, gesturing to Martina and Carla to follow her as the man stood up and offered her his arm. She took it, pretending she liked him, as they went towards the north tower.  
  
Jamie, Lady Fire Eyes, and Max looked around the menagerie, wondering what to do. Finally, Jamie spotted a cage which had a place she could hide in, and Max let her in, lifting her and her bags up in a large wind.  
  
"Come back for me; otherwise I'm stuck here," said Jamie.  
  
"Of course," answered Max. "If we don't, send an animal to get Daine; she'll get someone to get you out."  
  
"Sure." Max and Lady Fire Eyes left, moving closer to the camp. They stopped in an alleyway on the very edge of the city as Max readied some winds to attack the soldiers with. Lady Fire Eyes guarded the mouth of the alley, making sure that no one would break Max's concentration, something that would surely have dire consequences for the city.  
  
Meanwhile, Anita, Megan, and Blaize walked towards the castle. Megan noticed the servants' entrance. She sent Anita and Blaize in that way, though she went to the front gate.  
  
"Excuse me, sir," she said to the guard.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I heard you was hirin'. An' I need work."  
  
"Well, go inside, to the kitchen, I'll have the Steward interview you. You know, you're the second one today." She went inside, thinking about his words, and wondering who had gone in before her. She found the kitchen and waited.  
  
Blaize and Anita found the door to be unlocked and went inside. Anita asked, "So, now what do we do?"  
  
"Well, you go look for people and tell them I'm here. I'll wait here, work on my magic, and, when others from our group come, work on their weapons."  
  
"Good idea." With that, Anita was gone, and Blaize used her magic to probe. She found an empty room, one full of dust, very near by, so she went in there.  
  
Krizsta and Lani approached the castle on horses, with Kate following them at a safe distance. Once nearby, Kate got off the horse, sent it back to Daine, and snuck in the servants' entrance, looking for a good place to hide. She found Blaize in her little room, and they decided that they could stay together, with Blaize as very strong protection for Kate if anyone needed healing.  
  
Krizsta and Lani approached the castle.  
  
"Hello sir!" called Lani, speaking for her "mistress".  
  
"And who might you be?"  
  
"This is Lady Krizsta of Runnerspring, and she would like to meet your master."  
  
"Why?" Lani started to answer, but he said "Let the lady speak for herself."  
  
"Well, I'm not sure. It sounded like fun, fighting that bitch of a queen." Krizsta was doing a very good job at acting; in reality, she idolized Thayet and would never do anything to hurt her.  
  
"Then come in." He showed them in, having a servant lead them to a set of rooms. They sat down, looked at each other, then Krizsta poured herself some tea from the pot on the table.  
  
In another part of town, Tammy and Rose woke up and left the inn. Mounted on horses, they went towards the castle, realizing that they didn't see any of the teens. They were obviously very good hiders. Once nearby, they also found the servants' entrance. Rose was disguised as a castle servant, and Tammy was using her magic to hide herself. Her power was for making people look away from her and for far-speaking. She went inside, and began to wander around.  
  
  
  
Well, there's part 12. I can't believe I got this far! I still need answers to my question about death-see the beginning of chapter 11 for the exact one. Anita, I can't give you all of that stuff, though you will get at least one of them, but I won't say which one. Lani, I put romance in, finally. Do you like it? I never knew I was good at writing mush. Oh well, I suppose I can. That doesn't mean I want to, however. I'm glad this is going, and I pretty much know where it's going, so all I have left to do is write it. Please tell me if there's anything specific you want to do! I need your input! Please! I can't believe I'm begging for reviews. Oh, well, I am, and I'm damn proud of it! So review! Thanks!  
  
RoseFyre 


	13. Closer

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Well, I offered Tammy rights to MY story if she would give me rights to hers, but it didn't work. Which is why I'm still writing this instead of her doing it.  
  
  
  
9:00, Port Caynn, The Camp  
  
The fighting kept going. Kel was doing all right, as were all of her friends. Dom, Raoul, and Cleon were in the thick of things, fighting to stay alive while killing as many of the mage's men as possible. Owen was having a jolly time, as could be expected, and Alanna and Numair were shining brightly from within a black and purple circle. Evin was yelling directions, making sure the Riders knew what they were doing.  
  
Neal and Daine were kept occupied healing, Neal paying attention to the humans, Daine to the animals. There were many injured, since the enemy were good fighters. The animals were doing slightly better; the people of Port Caynn hadn't been prepared to find deer and squirrels that attacked. For Daine, they did.  
  
Suddenly, in the middle of the battle, a large noise was heard and the enemy dispersed. Within seconds, they were gone, and those from Corus were all alone.  
  
Kel took off her helmet and wiped her forehead. "Wonder why they left?"  
  
"No idea," answered Owen. "They left right in the middle, just when I was having a jolly time."  
  
Cleon laughed. "Of course you were, Jesslaw. Let's go back." When they went back, they found that Numair and Alanna were still in their shield and that Neal and Daine were still healing. The Own and the Riders, no longer fighting, were slowly recovering from the battle. It had been short, and most people felt fine, as they had expected to be fighting for most of the day. Everyone wondered why they weren't fighting anymore, and why Alanna and Numair hadn't come out yet.  
  
  
  
9:00, Port Caynn, The Castle  
  
Kaddy, riding in Greya's mind, had managed to get into the palace, and they were looking for the mage's rooms. Greya had known the castle pretty well, she explained, but, since this man had come, a lot of things had been changed. Kaddy decided to wander around.  
  
They didn't reach the mage's rooms, but they did find the room with the TV. There were two men standing there talking, so the girl and the cat hid and listened.  
  
"So, Vion," said one, "What is this thing?"  
  
"Well, Morel," said Vion, "Lord Blake said that it's called a tee vee, and that it can be used to make the whole world obey him, which would, of course, be the best thing for the world."  
  
"Of course." Well, Kaddy had managed to find out one important thing: his name. She also knew that he intended to take over the world. Not wishing to try her luck, Kaddy and Greya left the castle, moving back towards Kaddy's physical body.  
  
Amy watched her peach protective circle, noticing that Kaddy didn't move at all. Obviously, she wasn't in her body. She listened, wishing she was fighting. She wanted to act, not to babysit someone! Then she realized: maybe she could do something with her magic. She reached out, finding the castle easily, and proceeded to black out half of the rooms, pushing darkness in to take the place of the light. She could see through her magic, even though no one else could, and she noticed that everyone else looked terrified. They were, apparently. She would be, too, if her world were black. Amy laughed, pushing more power into her spell.  
  
Raganas slipped away from the maid she had been talking to. The girl had finally capitulated, going over to Raganas' side, but she was still nervous about it. The girl wasn't ready to convince others yet, but, hopefully, with Raganas' help, she soon would be. Raganas let the girl eat and looked for someone else to convince. She soon found a soldier who looked promising and managed to get him to follow her. In a small room full of clean sheets, she began the slow process of indoctrinating the soldier into the truth that had been taken from him.  
  
Brooke, meanwhile, slept. She had exerted herself in trying to find the mage, and she needed rest. After a little while, she awoke with a start, feeling a magical pull on her mind. Someone was in trouble, and it felt like Angel. Mounting her horse quickly, Brooke rode as fast as possible towards the camp, ready to warn Neal or whoever else was there.  
  
Angel had tried to convince a group of commanders to follow her lead, but they were heavily guarded with magic, and she hadn't succeeded. Realizing they knew she was a spy, she tried to run, but they caught her. The men brought her to a small room and locked her in. She tried to use her magic to open the room; it wasn't her best talent, but she could use it that way when necessary. The walls stopped her, giving her a magical shock, warning her that magic wasn't going to help.  
  
Suddenly she thought of something. Had the mage blocked all modes of communication? Angel sent out her mind, not to destroy, but to seek. She found Brooke asleep in the alley, and sent her an image of trouble.  
  
The task of sending her mind out that way had exhausted the girl, so, even though she was worried, she quickly fell asleep.  
  
Tina, meanwhile, had headed towards the north tower. She quickly picked a lock, noticing that navy blue magic flared and then faded, realizing that she had broken the spell. She snuck in, being completely silent, and she managed to find the mage's office. She was in the middle of looking at his papers when she sensed people coming. She quickly hid in the bottom of a cabinet and listened to the next conversation.  
  
Skye ran with Apple, learning her way around the mouseholes. After a little while, she felt she knew it well enough, so she returned to her own body with a quick thanks to Apple. Remembering Apple's mind, Skye changed her body to fit into that of a mouse. Her clothing slipped off, so did Coffee Lee's protective circle, and she was going towards the castle once more.  
  
Coffee Lee felt her circle evaporate, knowing that it meant that Skye had left. Happy that she no longer had two things to worry about, she and Maddy started looking for people to brainwash. They managed to find the cook, and Coffee Lee tried to get him to follow her. He was heavily guarded, though, presumably to stop anyone from trying to poison the mage, so they couldn't do anything. Since the cook sensed their aim, he chased them and called in the guards.  
  
Maddy and Coffee Lee ran through the halls, trying to get out of the castle. Maddy, used to early morning running with Sarge, managed to get out, but Coffee Lee was caught. Maddy ran as fast as she could for the camp, ready to warn someone.  
  
The cook and the guards through Coffee Lee into another small room, just like the one Angel was in. she also tried to escape using her magic, and the room also stopped her. She wasn't exhausted enough to sleep, so she tried to think of ways out.  
  
Zoe and the mage walked towards the north tower, Martina and Carla a step behind.  
  
"Ah, my dear Zoe, surely you don't think you need your soldiers with me?" asked the mage. She shrugged, not wishing to give a clear answer. "I feel that only you deserve to see this marvel, so it would please me if you could get rid of them."  
  
"I will, my lord, if you would tell me your name."  
  
"I am called Blake. You don't need to call me lord." He looked at her, and she gestured to Martina and Carla to leave. Martina and Carla walked back to their room, worried about their friend, yet unwilling to risk their lives or hers by fighting.  
  
Zoe followed Blake. "This, my dear, is a television."  
  
"Wow! What does it do?" she asked, doing her best at sounding brainless.  
  
"It makes people obey me. You won't need to watch it, though. You seem smart enough to make the right choice without an inducement." Zoe pretended to look really pleased at the "compliment" and examined the TV. It was an old model, one that said Sony 1993 on the bottom. She doubted the date would matter, or the fact that there was no reception in Tortall; it would work with his magic. Another man came into the room and spoke quietly to Blake; he then turned to her and said, "Zoe, my dear, why don't you keep examining the TV? I have other things to do."  
  
She turned to him, batted her eyelashes, and curtseyed. Once he was gone, she wrote down all of the details she knew.  
  
Jamie looked for a bird that could carry her. Sending out her magic, she found a starling named FourFeathers who was willing to let the girl in his mind and to carry her to the castle. Slipping into his mind, they flew on the wind, eventually settling on the very top of the north tower.  
  
Max pelted the soldiers with her winds, Lady Fire Eyes guarding her. Suddenly, they broke up, melting into the forest and the city. Max quickly stopped her winds, which were quickly turning into a tornado, and turned to Lady Fire Eyes.  
  
"They suddenly ran, and it wasn't cause of me."  
  
"I wonder what happened," mused Lady Fire Eyes. "I mean, there was no reason for them to leave; the battle was just starting."  
  
"Maybe we should go to the castle."  
  
"I think you're right." The two girls went towards the castle, ready to join the fight that would be happening in there.  
  
After a long wait, a man finally entered the room Megan waited in. "Hello, miss, I heard you needed a job? I'm Rolph, the steward here at Port Caynn Castle."  
  
"Yes, sir. I need work. I trained as a maid; I clean and I cook and I can help a lady."  
  
"Well, we don't have any ladies right now, but I believe there are some staying in the castle. When Lord Blake gets a wife, perhaps you'd be willing to serve her?" Megan nodded. "Well, until then, you'll be cleaning his rooms." He gave her a key and pointed her in the right direction.  
  
Anita traversed the castle, looking for any of the girls. She didn't find them, but she did find some soldiers. One of them noticed her clothing and realized that it wasn't the right uniform. He gestured to the others to follow, and they managed to back her into a small corner without her realizing. When she turned around, there were five men ready to fight.  
  
Anita used all of her strength and her favorite glaive, but she couldn't beat five of them. However, she did manage to kill one of them and severly injure two others before she went down, a large cut over her left eye gushing blood.  
  
The remaining two looked down at the girl. "Didn't think she'd do that well," said one.  
  
"Yeah, she gutted Bryz. Well, we gotta let her live; the master'll wanta know who she is." The other grunted his agreement, and they carried the girl to the infirmary. Once there, she was laid in a bed, and the men took others to fetch their comrades.  
  
Anita lay in a state of stupor, injured and in pain. She wasn't dead yet, but she was captured. Hopefully, however, she could hold off questioning until she was well again.  
  
Blaize and Kate waited in the room, hoping SOMETHING would happen. Both of them were ready to do whatever they could, but it seemed that their talents weren't necessary just then.  
  
"Hey, Blaize, I wonder what would happen if we used our magic together?"  
  
"I don't know. Wanna try?"  
  
"Sure." The two girls reached out, the healer and the warmage, and linked. Their combined magic, green and teal, flowed down their arms and into the air. Suddenly, a picture appeared, one they could touch, a hole in the air. It looked like New York City, but there was no noise. They pushed harder, and then there was noise. They quickly stopped, realizing that they would be heard, and both collapsed, exhausted.  
  
"What do you think that was?" asked Blaize.  
  
"I think, well, I think it might've been a hole like the one we used to get here."  
  
"So that's what happens when war magic and healing magic are combined! I think I'm needed to actually make the hole"  
  
"And I need to heal the edges!" The two girls were elated with their discovery, realizing that the man had come through another hole and that they could now make one so they could enter Tortall at any time.  
  
Krizsta and Lani waited for a while; eventually the mage entered. "Ah, another noble, come to support the true lord!" Krizsta and Lani exchanged glances, realizing he was referring to Zoe.  
  
"Well, actually, my lord, I joined your side because I hate the others," said Krizsta.  
  
"And that was a good enough reason for you?"  
  
"Well, I wouldn't want to actually help the QUEEN. That woman is so mean." The mage gestured to Krizsta to send Lani away. Krizsta looked at Lani, then gestured for her to leave. Lani obviously didn't want to go, but a severe look from her "mistress" sent her out. She walked into the other room, knowing staying was impossible. Still, she was worried.  
  
She had good reason. Once Lani was gone, the man said, "I am Blake, and you are?"  
  
"Krizsta of Runnerspring, my lord."  
  
"Well, Krizsta, how would you like to be my lady?" Krizsta stared at him. She knew she was pretty, but she hadn't known that this forty year old man would want a seventeen year old wife. It felt. . . dirty. She also didn't think she had any choice. It was agree to marry him or die; her Sight was very clear on that issue. However, it did hint that sex wouldn't be an issue, so she gulped and said, "Yes, my lord Blake, but I would like to wait until after the wedding to sleep with you."  
  
"I suppose I can deal with that. We will be married in a week. Is that all right?" Krizsta nodded. Then a man came in, talked to Blake very quietly, and left. "I have to leave, my dear. Wait here for me." Krizsta nodded again, unable to speak. Lani, listening at the door, had eyes wide in shock. She didn't enter, however, realizing that Krizsta might prefer to be alone. Krizsta picked up the cup of tea she had been drinking earlier, looked at it, and gulped it down. She wasn't ready, but she also knew she'd have to pretend.  
  
Oh, well, she thought. At least I'll know quite a bit about him to tell the king.  
  
Rose walked around the castle, finally finding the mage's rooms. She began to clean, checking for any signs of his plans. She still didn't understand television, and she wasn't sure she wanted to, but she knew it was a bad idea.  
  
A man, dressed as a steward, suddenly entered. "Is the room clean, girl?" he asked, obviously mistaking her for a servant.  
  
"I'm almost done, sir. I just have the desk."  
  
"Don't bother with the desk. All I care about is the bed. It needs to be ready. Do you understand me?" Rose nodded, though she wondered what he meant when he said the bed needed to be ready. Ready for what? When he left, she did too, going back towards the servants' entrance.  
  
Tammy had been walking around, and she still hadn't found anything useful. She finally stumbled upon Blaize and Kate, who were lying on the floor.  
  
"What are you girls doing here? Don't you need to be safe, Kate, so you can heal?"  
  
"Yeah, but I also need to be nearby, and so does Blaize. We found out how holes are made from this world to ours."  
  
"Really? I've always wondered that."  
  
"Well," said Blaize, "When a war mage and a healer work together, they can create holes. We did it, but we stopped, because the noise of NYC was not a good idea here."  
  
"Wow," said Tammy. "Just, wow." She stared into space for a minute. "Oh, Kate, I suppose you're right. Do you girls mind if I join you? I need to be somewhere relatively safe so I can farspeak." The girls shook their heads, then lay back down. Tammy took out an apple and began to eat.  
  
  
  
Well, there's chapter 13. Krizsta, my AIM screen name is RRSFeuer. If anyone wants to contact me, they can either IM me or email me at rfeuer@haverford.edu. If you have any suggestions, please tell them to me, either by review, email, or AIM. I'm not doing much more romance, because it doesn't really fit, though I may have a kiss or two later. Martina, I'm not telling you what happens in Lady Knight. I've just let things happen the way I think they would. Oh, by the way, I think I've decided about death, but I'm not completely sure. It's going to be interesting, because I'm thinking of killing some people, but I'm not sure yet. Please review! I won't write anymore until I'm up to 123! (I'm currently at 113) So, if you want my fic to continue, review!  
  
RoseFyre 


	14. After The Bell

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Rose belongs to me. So does Blake. Nothing else does. It belongs to Tammy, who is a character in my story, or it belongs to the people in the story.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry I'm jumping around, and not keeping people in the order they were in, but it makes more sense to me if I know where Blake is at all times, since he can only be doing one thing at a time. Also, I need to put you with the people you're near. It's hard enough to keep track of all of you without having to deal with the idiots you're spying on. Oh, to everyone who read the earlier parts, in case you didn't get it, everything was happening at the same time, I just couldn't write "9:00, Port Caynn, The Castle" 23 times. I would have gone mad. Of course, to write fanfiction, one must be a little mad, but I would have gone madder. Is that a word? You know, I'm babbling. On with the fic!  
  
  
  
12:00, Port Caynn, The Camp  
  
Suddenly, the purple and black shield disappeared from around Numair and Alanna. Raoul ran up to them, obviously worried.  
  
"What happened? We were fighting them, and they just left?"  
  
"I don't know, Raoul, I really don't," said Alanna. Numair just shook his head. "Maybe they were scared? I doubt it, but you never know," she reasoned, trying to sound hopeful and not really succeeding.  
  
"All right, I'll tell the men to stay on guard." Raoul walked away, still concerned. Alanna and Numair looked at each other and shrugged. Alanna then walked towards the healers' tent, while Numair looked for Daine. While walking to the tent, Evin caught up with Alanna.  
  
"Do you know what happened?"  
  
"No, sorry, Evin. I don't. Numair and I were scanning the battle when the sound came, and they disappeared. That sound was definitely a magical signal, though. That much I DO know."  
  
"Okay, thanks, Lioness. We'll stay on guard, and I'll have the Riders scout, though I can't let them enter the city unless we get a definite call for help."  
  
"I'm ready for Tammy to contact me, but she's the only one who can farspeak, and she can't do it if she's not in a safe place. The others'll have to ride over."  
  
"All right." Evin left, going over to talk to the Riders, who left, going all around the walls of the city. They actually weren't in very bad shape; the area surrounding the city was completely theirs, and all they needed to do to get the city was kill or hurt the mage. However, that was easier said than done. Luckily there were 23 people in the castle or nearby trying to do the job. So, hopefully, it would get done soon.  
  
Kel and Dom sat in their tent, cleaning their armor. Lerant, the standard-bearer, came to the entrance and called in. "Kel, Dom?"  
  
They both answered "yes?"  
  
"My lord Raoul wants to see you both in five minutes."  
  
"We'll come," called Dom. Lerant left, going for others. "Wonder what he wants us for?"  
  
"Who knows? He'll tell us soon enough," responded Kel. Dom shrugged and put his armor away. When they arrived at the commanding tent, Brooke and Maddy were sitting there, both looking exhausted. All of the others arrived soon after except for Evin, who was scouting, and Neal, who was still involved in healing.  
  
"What happened?" asked Alanna, forthright as always.  
  
"Well," said Maddy, speaking very quickly, "I was with Coffee Lee, who was trying to convince people to follow her. She tried the cook, and nothing happened, except the cook realized we were spies and chased us and called the guards so we ran and I got away but she didn't."  
  
Brooke spoke just as fast, and right after Maddy had finished. "Yeah, I think the same sort of thing happened to Angel, though I don't know exactly. I think she was trying to convince the soldiers, but it didn't work, and they caught her and put her in a room that she can't use her magic to escape from, but she managed to reach me."  
  
"Well," said Numair, "that room is probably very like the one Daine was in in Carthak. Do you remember that, Daine, Alanna?"  
  
"Yeah. I used my wild magic to get out, but." said Daine.  
  
"They don't have wild magic," finished Alanna. "And they're probably in different rooms, both ones that magic can't be used in. Damn!"  
  
Kel spoke, for the first time. "Well, they'll probably be tortured and asked to tell about us and about the other spies in the castle." She sounded strangely distant from her words, her face a Yamani mask. Of course, that was only to be expected.  
  
"Well, I'm sure they'll be able to withstand torture," said Owen, sounding like his usual jolly self. Everyone else exchanged glances, knowing how unlikely that was. Maddy and Brooke both looked really nervous, since some of their good friends were still inside that castle.  
  
  
  
12:00, Port Caynn, The Castle And Its Environs  
  
Kaddy got back into her body, somewhat tired from her brief sojourn into the castle. She had found out the mage's name. Blake. What a strange name for a mage. He sounded like some California surfer dude. That was when she realized that he probably WAS a California surfer dude. She laughed, getting up and going over to her bag.  
  
Suddenly, the protective circle around her disappeared, the peach fire fading into the floor. Kaddy immediately turned to Amy, who had also sunk onto the floor. Amy was white, and she looked like she had spent too much of her magic.  
  
"Amy, Amy! Wake up!" yelled Kaddy, shaking the girl. Amy slowly opened her eyes and tried to sit up. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I-I think so," she answered, sounding completely exhausted. Kaddy handed her a flask of water, hoping that she would be fine.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I used too much power, blacking out the castle."  
  
"Did you find anything out?"  
  
"No. I need to rest."  
  
"Okay then. You rest, I'll keep watch." Greya, who had followed Kaddy back, licked her hand, making her laugh. She looked over at Amy, checking on her, but Amy was lying asleep on the floor. "I guess I need to write a report for Lady Alanna." She took out her pen and paper, and wrote down what she knew. Kaddy then tied the message to the cat's neck, and Greya left the stables, heading for the camp outside the city walls. Kaddy kept watch over Amy, conserving her strength.  
  
Raganas finished brainwashing the soldier, a bit tired from all of the effort it had taken her. She hadn't expected it to be so hard! Of course, the man WAS a very powerful mage, and he DID have others helping him. The problem was, that made it much harder.  
  
She looked around for the maid she had worked with before, hoping to brainwash her further. When she couldn't find her, she started to worry. Where was the little idiot? Leaving the hallway, Raganas looked around, thinking that maybe the maid was working. After all, it wasn't as though the girl was a noble or anything; she had a job.  
  
Raganas turned a corner, not really expecting to see the brat. Of course, she didn't expect to see ten soldiers there either, and, when she did, she wasn't prepared to run. They caught her and dragged her off, with her trying to convince them that they were doing the wrong thing.  
  
It didn't work. They dumped the girl into a cell, one, like Angel and Coffee Lee's was made with magic. She dropped down, exhausted, and not prepared for captivity.  
  
Coffee Lee jerked at the sound of soldiers in the room. Turning around, she saw ten of them, as well as a commander. "Take her out, boys," said the commander, motioning towards the men. Two of them lifted the struggling girl up. She tried to escape, but they were much stronger than her. When she tried using her magic, it was repulsed. The men marched the girl to another room, one with a throne in it. There was a man on the throne, a mage by all appearances.  
  
The man stood up. "Drop her." They did. "What's your name, girl?"  
  
"You think I'm gonna tell YOU?" she spat.  
  
"Why, yes, I do," he said, making a complex sign with his hands. Suddenly, Coffee Lee was in pain, searing pain, running from her head to her toes. It felt as though she was on fire, but she knew she wasn't. She tried using her magic to fight back, but it didn't work, not at all. "Yes, girl, you're under MY power. In fact, soon everyone will be under my power. I called my army back, did you know? Now your soldiers will have to come into MY territory to fight me." He jerked, and the pain increased. "What is your name?" he asked.  
  
Coffee Lee had the presence of mind not to tell him her real full name. "My name is Lee. Lee uh Georgeson from" her mind wildly searched for a Tortallan town "Corus."  
  
"Well, Lee, what are you doing here?" She didn't answer, and he increased the pain. She cried out, but she didn't talk. As this was happening, none of the men saw the two mice enter from the back of the chamber. Finally, after more increases, the mage realized that it wasn't working, and he let her go. She fell to the floor, fainting into oblivion.  
  
"Take her away," he said, "And bring in the second one."  
  
Oblivious to everything, Angel slept on.  
  
Hiding in the bottom of the cabinet, Tina heard people enter the room. Looking out, she saw that there were two of them.  
  
"So, Morel, who is this noble who has joined our cause?"  
  
"Well, Vion, she says her name is Zoe, and that she's from Genlith." So Zoe had pretended to join the man! That was important information.  
  
"Didn't I hear something about Genlith a few years back? Something about a man, and a rape, or something like that?"  
  
"Yes, you did. Lord Vinson of Genlith was arrested on charges of rape after his Ordeal three Midwinters ago. He was condemned to death. I assume this girl is his sister."  
  
"Ah. Now, where are the papers Lord Blake wanted?"  
  
"Right here, Vion, you idiot. Let's go, before any of his booby traps fall." The two men left, and Tina came out of the cabinet, being extra careful about booby traps. She didn't want to end up dead. Then, she continued looking at the papers on the desk, knowing there had to be something important there. A few minutes later, she heard someone else approach, and she hid in the cabinet again.  
  
Skye ran towards the castle, still in the body of a mouse. She quickly found Apple, who was happy to see her, and they went together towards the main part of the castle. They found the mage quickly, in a room with eleven soldiers and a girl who was writhing on the floor in pain. Skye suddenly realized that the girl was Coffee Lee. Uh oh, she thought to Apple, bad news.  
  
Who is she? Asked the mouse. She's one of those who are going against the mage, answered Skye. Uh oh, agreed Apple. They waited, cowering from the girl's piercing screams. When it was over, the two mice ran away, knowing she hadn't given anything up, but haunted by the memory of her pain. Skye returned to her body, shaking from the force of the memory. She quickly got back into her clothing and started writing information down.  
  
Zoe still sat in the room with the TV; she hadn't been able to think up any good reasons to move. She had her report written in her bag, and she was determined to get it to Sir Raoul, no matter what happened. A man, dressed as a steward, walked by, and she suddenly decided to stop him.  
  
"Excuse me." He kept on walking. "EXCUSE ME." He turned around. "Did Lord Blake say what I should do now that I'm done looking at the, um, the what do you call it?"  
  
"The tee-vee, my lady." He sounded as though he was trying to be patient with an idiot. Zoe smiled to herself. "No, he didn't, but I doubt if he would mind if you met the other lady staying in the castle."  
  
"There's another lady?" asked Zoe, wondering about this woman. "Yes, there is. She's from Runnerspring, but I forget her name. I'll lead you to her rooms." Zoe followed the man to the rooms, expecting to meet some ditz.  
  
On the way back to their rooms, Martina and Carla heard a noise. It sounded like New York City, but they doubted that it was. Suddenly, the sound was cut off. Looking at each other, the two girls went towards the noise. They found a small room, which had in it Kate, Blaize, and Tammy.  
  
"What are you guys doing here?" asked Martina, clearly shocked.  
  
"Well, I needed to be somewhere safe so that I could fight and enchant weapons, Kate needed to be where she could heal, and Tammy needed to be in a place she could farspeak."  
  
"So, did you find out anything the king and Alanna should know?" asked Tammy.  
  
"Well, the mage's name is Blake, and he wanted us out of the way, for some reason. He's sure his castle is safe-he doesn't have a guard, and that's all we know. Zoe's trying to find out more," answered Carla.  
  
"Well, that's enough for now," answered Tammy. She turned away, the deep purple glow of her magic rising up to surround her.  
  
"Hey, Blaize, can you enchant our weapons?" asked Martina. "I would if I could, but I can't."  
  
"Sure. I have enough energy left over from the portal to do that for both of you."  
  
"What do you mean, the portal?" asked Carla.  
  
"Well," answered Kate, "We discovered that when a healer and a warmage work together, they create a portal from here to Earth."  
  
"Cool!" said Carla. Blaize took their weapons, and did something involving green fire to them. She then handed them back and lay down. "You okay?" asked Kate, worried.  
  
"Just tired." Kate went over and put a hand on her forehead, calling up her teal magic. Blaize sat up, no longer exhausted, but still tired.  
  
"We have to go," said Martina, who also looked tired, almost as though her magic was starting to run out as well. "We need to be in our rooms when Zoe comes back."  
  
"Go," said Tammy, who had come out of her reverie. "I got the message out, and you're fine." Carla and Martina left, heading towards their rooms.  
  
Tammy, Kate, and Blaize all rested, none of them feeling great after the use of so much magical energy.  
  
Jamie and FourFeathers flew down through the tower, looking for the mage. "Hey!" said a soldier. "Birds shouldn't be behaving like that!" He started chasing them through the castle, brandishing his sword. Suddenly, FourFeathers veered left, going out into the open.  
  
Well, that didn't work out too well, said Jamie. Now they'll chase us out. And I don't even have any information for them. Oh well. She left the bird, returning to her body in the menagerie. She called to the animals, getting some of the elephants and giraffes to let her out safely. Then, she started walking back towards the camp, warning FourFeathers to be careful.  
  
Max and Lady Fire Eyes walked towards the castle. Once they got there, they, like everyone else, noticed the servants' entrance. Lady Fire Eyes gestured for Max to be quiet, and she led the way silently. They walked in and found Tammy, Kate, and Blaize lying on the floor.  
  
"Are you guys all right?" asked Max, worry clear in her eyes.  
  
"I think so," answered Blaize tiredly.  
  
"What on Earth were you guys doing?" asked Lady Fire Eyes?  
  
"Well, we opened a portal, and then Tammy had to farspeak, Blaize had to do some weapons, and I had to make her slightly less tired."  
  
"Oh," said Max. "Do you mind if I join you? This looks like a safe place to work my magic from."  
  
"Sure, go ahead," said Tammy, still lying on the floor.  
  
"Blaize, can you do my bow and my sling? I'd like to go fight, and enchanted weapons would help."  
  
"Sure." Blaize sat up, and a weak green fire came from her fingers, bathing both weapons in its light. "I'm all out; no more fighting for me," she said, falling asleep.  
  
"Is she all right?" asked Tammy, clearly worried about the girl she had brought.  
  
"Yeah," said Kate. "She's just tired, but I can't give her any more; if I do, I'll go into shock, and I'll probably need to heal."  
  
"Right." Lady Fire Eyes left then, ready to go fight if necessary. Max took out some powder and began saying an incantation over it, calling lightning to her. Everyone else in the room lay on the floor, conserving their strength.  
  
Anita lay in the infirmary, waiting for something to happen. She had been healed somewhat, though the healer they had was either not very good or was conserving his strength for the "important" people. She knew they wouldn't bother that much with her. She could feel a scar forming above her left eye, and it was a bit painful, though not as much as the rest of her body.  
  
Someone entered the room; it looked like the woman who had assisted the healer. "Are you all right, miss?" she asked. "The captain said to check on you."  
  
"I'm all right, but I'm not perfect."  
  
"Not surprisin', considering the beatin' you took. Did you know you killed two men and severely injured another?"  
  
"No. I guess I did a nice job, then."  
  
"If ya call killin' people nice. I don't. I'm Anella Jairy, and I help the healer around here. If ya need somethin', call fer me."  
  
"Thank you." Anita did not give her name, even though she could tell Anella had been trying to get it. She simply turned over and pretended to sleep until Anella had left the room. Well, she was obviously in deep trouble, she thought, knowing that she would probably be questioned soon. Maybe she could hold it off if she pretended she was sicker than she was? Well, it was worth a try, she decided, and she tried to sleep.  
  
Megan walked into the mage's study, not expecting to find anyone there. She started cleaning, including inside the cabinets. Suddenly, Tina fell out of one. "Tina! What are you doing here?"  
  
"I was spying. What about you?"  
  
"Me too, but I'm doing it while pretending to clean."  
  
"All right, I have to go tell Sir Raoul the little that I know. I'll talk to you later."  
  
"Later," answered Megan, and Tina left. Megan continued dusting. When she was done, she held the duster out and looked at the papers on the desk, scanning them for any important information. She found a few that looked important and took them, ready to give them to the people at the camp.  
  
"Lady Zoe of Genlith," announced Rolph, the steward. "Lady Krizsta of Port Caynn." The two girls stared at each other. Krizsta was shocked at Zoe's appearance; the last time she had seen her, she had looked much younger and much prettier. Zoe was shocked at Krizsta's title. Weren't they IN Port Caynn?  
  
"You may go, Rolph," said Krizsta. "Lani," she called. Lani came out of the other room. "I assume you heard?" Lani nodded. "All right, Lani, you need to go and find either Alanna or Tammy and tell them what you know; they can farspeak. I can't." Lani nodded, and was out of the room in a flash. "How do you look so old?" she asked Zoe. "I mean, you're only thirteen, aren't you? You look like you're 35 or so."  
  
"Martina put some magic on me so that I look older than I am. Apparently, much older."  
  
"So that's how you avoided it!"  
  
"Avoided what? I mean, I noticed that he announced you as the lady of Port Caynn, but isn't Blake calling himself the lord of Port Caynn?"  
  
"Yes," said Krizsta, sighing. "He asked me to marry him."  
  
"But he's like forty!"  
  
"I know. Trust me, I know."  
  
"So why didn't you refuse?"  
  
"I couldn't. My Sight told me I can't-it was either accept or die. However, it was just accept the words, so I don't think I'll actually have to marry him."  
  
"Wow," said Zoe. "I'm glad Martina put this spell on me."  
  
"Lucky," said Krizsta. At that moment, Rolph returned, leading a plainly frightened Rose.  
  
"My lady," he said, bowing to Krizsta. She nodded in reply. Rose looked between them, wondering what on earth was going on. "This is, umm, what's your name, girl?"  
  
"Rose."  
  
"This is Rose. She will be your servant. There's another girl, a new one, I think her name is Megan," At that, Krizsta and Zoe exchanged looks. "and she will also be your maid. Is that good, my lady?"  
  
"Yes, Rolph, that's fine. Is my lord busy right now?"  
  
"I believe he is. . . occupied."  
  
"Very well, I'll speak to him later. Please leave us." He bowed again and left.  
  
Rose came out of her shock. "What's happening here? One minute I'm walking back to report to Lady Tamora, the next I'm over here and I'm told that I'm going to be your maid."  
  
"Rose, the mage asked me to marry him, and I don't have an option." Rose gasped. "Go tell Lady Tamora; she'll know what to do." Rose nodded and ran out. She liked Krizsta-Krizsta had been nice to her, even though she had been too nervous to answer. Sir Quinden had hurt her, and Krizsta was one of those who defended her. Rose knew she had to get the message to Lady Tamora, even if that was the only thing she could do to pay Krizsta and everyone else back for their kindness.  
  
Krizsta turned back to Zoe and said, "Well, why don't we have tea? I don't think there's much that either of us can do right now. Oh, by the way, do you have a dagger?"  
  
"What for?"  
  
"I think I might need it if he tries to have sex with me."  
  
"Yeah. Here." With that, Zoe took a small dagger out of her dress, from a place that Krizsta hadn't seen, one that she doubted she would've noticed if Zoe hadn't pointed it out. Looking down at her own dress, she saw a similar spot and put the dagger in there.  
  
"Thanks," she said, and poured the tea.  
  
  
  
Well, there's chapter 14. My God, that's long! Almost ten pages! Sorry it took me three whole days, but I figure, it's a long chapter, so I can have a little more time. (Hint, hint, to those of you who update like once a month) I want reviews!!!! I'm currently at 125, and I'm not writing any more until I'm up to 135. I think you people can handle 10 reviews, don't you? I'm sorry to anyone who had a shorter section in this part, particularly Angel, but you'll get more later, I promise. Tell me what you think! Please!  
  
RoseFyre 


	15. To Defeat A Mage

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Well, I tried offering Tammy rights to my life, but it didn't work. So, I still own nothing.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: I really shouldn't be giving you this chapter. I really shouldn't. I asked for ten measly reviews, only TEN, when there are TWENTY- ONE of you!!!! And, I got seven. You know who you are-if you haven't written me a review in five chapters, I may kill you off. Hahahahaha!!!! Sorry, don't mind me, I'm simply maniacal. I mean, you don't need to say much, just say that it was good or you liked all of it except for this part. JUST DON'T LEAVE THE DAMN SCREEN BLANK!!!! Calm down, Rose. Remember, you got buried-it's not their fault if they didn't see it. They still should look, though! I also shouldn't be giving you another chapter because I have two papers, a French translation and summary, and two tests due within the next five days. So you had better thank me, or I'm killing you off! Or, maybe, I won't update until FALL BREAK, which doesn't start until the eleventh!!!! So thank me, DAMN IT!!!!  
  
  
  
3:00, Port Caynn, The Camp  
  
"That's it, I'm going back in!"  
  
"Are you sure, Maddy? I mean, it's pretty dangerous in there."  
  
"Brooke, I know it's dangerous, but I can't just stay out here and do nothing."  
  
"I know, but. . ." The two girls were interrupted by the arrival of a grey cat, with a note tied around its neck. Maddy reached down and took the note. It said: "The mage's name is Blake, but that's all I could find out. I'm currently watching over Amy who used too much magic, and I'll come when she's better. Kaddy." After Maddy finished reading it out loud, she and Brooke looked at each other and headed towards the strategy tent.  
  
When they got there, the two girls found Numair surrounded by a black and deep purple ring of fire. They waited respectfully, but before the mage finished, Alanna entered. Maddy handed her the note, knowing that Alanna would be allowed to see it. Alanna read it, nodded, and looked at Numair, who was just coming out of his reverie.  
  
"So, what did you learn from Tamora?"  
  
"Well, the mage, who's name is Blake, wanted Carla and Martina out of the way when he talked to Zoe, for who knows what reason. He seems to think the castle is safe with just his magic and the soldiers guarding it- he obviously isn't prepared for spies. Apparently there's another thing, but she can't tell me until she talks to Jon. She mentioned. . . portals."  
  
"Who knows?" asked Alanna. "Well, this letter doesn't help us much, then, now that we know the mage's name. However, we DO know that Amy was using her magic successfully for a time, but that she ran out of energy and is now resting." At that moment, Tina and Jamie came in.  
  
"Hey guys!" yelled Maddy, very hyper even in such trying circumstances.  
  
"Hi. What are you doing here?" asked Jamie.  
  
"Well, I had to tell them that Coffee Lee was captured"  
  
"And I had to tell them that Angel was captured."  
  
"Oh, no. Two of us?" said Tina, obviously upset. "Well, Megan's spying, but I'm kinda useless, considering that I disguise myself as a thief. I took some documents, though."  
  
"Well, I didn't get any information. They thought the bird I was with was weird-we were flying inside. So I warned all of the starlings in the area, and got out of there as quickly as possible," said Jamie.  
  
"Smart," said Brooke. She went over to Raoul, who had just entered, and told him all that they knew. He then came over and got the documents that Tina had stolen. Most of them were about the distribution and number of soldiers, and he knew that those would be very useful.  
  
Just then, both Numair and Alanna were enveloped in deep purple fire, though it seemed somewhat weak. The girls and Raoul waited breathlessly, hoping that Tammy had some good news. They waited, and waited, and waited, as Alanna and Numair's faces became grimmer. Then the spell was broken, and Alanna and Numair looked out.  
  
"What was that all about?" asked Raoul.  
  
"Rose just sought out Tamora to tell her" said Alanna, but she was interrupted by Raoul.  
  
"Wait, who's Rose again?"  
  
"Her servant," answered Numair.  
  
"May I continue?" asked Alanna in a very annoyed tone. Everyone else nodded, blushing. "Good. So, Rose found Tamora and told her that the mage has asked Krizsta to marry him, and that she said yes, and that Rose said something about having to." The room erupted into cacophony.  
  
"We have to get her out!" said Tina, saying the thought that was on everyone's minds.  
  
"Wait!!" yelled Maddy. "We can't!" Everyone else turned to her, shocked that she would voice such a view.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Jamie.  
  
"Well, my Sight is telling me that Krizsta is doing the necessary thing. She has the Sight too, and hers is a little stronger than mine, so we shouldn't stop her." Everyone stared at the girl, knowing that she spoke the truth.  
  
"All right," said Alanna, calming down considerably. "We can't stop this, apparently it has to happen, but you girls are going in as guards for her. All right?" The four girls nodded and went to pack up their things.  
  
  
  
3:00, Port Caynn, Inside The City  
  
Greya returned to Kaddy, very proud of her trip to the camp. She gave Kaddy an image of Maddy taking the message, and Kaddy realized that Maddy would have brought it to someone with authority. Satisfied that her message had made it, she checked on Amy once more. Amy was white, completely exhausted from the use of so much of her magical power.  
  
Reaching into her bag, Kaddy found some bread and some homemade jam. She made a few sandwiches, eating some herself and leaving others for Amy.  
  
After a few hours, Amy woke up. She was still white, and she looked extremely thin. She noticed the sandwiches sitting in front of her and she sent a questioning look towards Kaddy, who nodded. She ate all three sandwiches extremely quickly, using their nourishment to make up for the energy she had lost.  
  
When she was done eating, Kaddy said, "Are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so. I do need to rest a little more."  
  
"Sure." The two girls sat in companionable silence, eating and drinking and waiting for something to happen.  
  
Raganas looked up-she had heard the sound of crying coming from next door. Listening carefully, she realized that the girl sounded like Coffee Lee.  
  
So she had been tortured. That meant that Raganas was no longer safe, and that she needed to get out of there. Looking around, she realized that, even though the cell looked to be impervious to magic, it wasn't safe from physical harm. She reached into her pocket and got out the lock pick she had stolen from Tina, testing it in the door. When it didn't melt, she laughed, realizing that the mage was so sure people would try to escape using magical means that he had completely neglected to make the cell safe from the physical ones.  
  
She heard the satisfying click and took the pick out. Listening carefully, she waited until she heard a large group of people pass her cell twice, then she left, opening and closing the door quietly. She snuck out of the castle, leaving by a door hidden by the river, and headed towards the camp.  
  
Coffee Lee lay next door, still writhing in pain from the torture she had undergone. She wasn't conscious anymore, but her body was reacting automatically.  
  
Angel was rudely woken up by eleven men entering her little cell. Though she struggled and tried to use her magic, they succeeded in bringing her to the room with the throne and the mage.  
  
"Well, magic didn't work last time, so we're going with physical on this one. Understand?" The men nodded, two of them holding the girl steady as a third one brought out a whip. When she saw it, she struggled harder, but they held on.  
  
They whipped her. And whipped her. And whipped her. They whipped her until she could no longer feel her back, only a wall of pain where she knew her back was. Still, she didn't tell. She would never tell. In fact, they didn't even manage to get a scream out of the girl, just whimpers.  
  
Annoyed at his failure, the mage kicked the girl away, having the men bring her back to her cell. "Bring in the last one," he said, and the men dumped Angel in her cell and went to Raganas'.  
  
There was no one there. They looked all around, but the girl was gone. Looking down, one of them found the lock pick that Raganas had used, and they brought it to their master.  
  
"No, you imbeciles, you let the brat escape! You were supposed to guard those rooms!" yelled Blake at the terrified captain. "GET OUT!!!" The soldiers ran, and the mage fumed. After a little while, he decided to go see his wife-to-be, knowing that the sight of such a beautiful young lady who would soon belong to him would make him feel better.  
  
Skye was shaking in her shoes. She had seen her partner tortured, even though she, luckily, hadn't given anything away. Her hand was shaking so hard that she couldn't write at all, even when Apple nudged her, trying to calm her down.  
  
She meditated, doing what Daine had taught her, hoping she would feel better. After a long while, she finally felt well enough to write it down without shaking, though silent tears ran down her face. Changing herself into a dog, she raced towards the camp.  
  
Tammy was shocked: at the mage, Krizsta's choice, and Rose's behavior. A forty year old man who wanted to marry a seventeen year old girl was just disgusting! And the girl accepting! However, it was the behavior of her timid maid that shocked her the most-Rose had actually been assertive for once in her life. Apparently the girl felt a debt to Krizsta for her help in dealing with Quinden. Tammy was NOT about to dignify him with the title "Sir," not even in her mind.  
  
Rose was currently sitting with Kate, Blaize, and Max, who were all whispering about Krizsta. She was in tears, exhausted, and extremely nervous about what she was doing. The girls tried to include the maid in their conversation, but she didn't seem to think it was right, and she refused to participate.  
  
After a while, their conversation turned to magic and its uses as the three mages discussed ways to fight the mage. Suddenly, Blaize and Max unleashed their power, calling forth fire and storms to fill the castle. All around them, people quaked with fear. However, they did make sure not to touch Krizsta's room, as they did not want her or Zoe to get hurt.  
  
Kate simply watched, knowing that her magic might be needed later, and that right now it was more important that she save it. When the power finally ended, Blaize and Max were laying on the floor, completely exhausted, and Rose sat in the corner, shaking in terror.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Kate. Rose simply looked up at her, shook her head, and continued to cry. Kate patted her awkwardly, then went back to her friends to check on them. Neither of them needed much help, which was good because she needed to save what she had. She sat watch over them and the exhausted Tammy, as Rose sobbed silently in the corner.  
  
Martina and Carla waited in their rooms. Suddenly Carla looked over at Martina, who was starting to look extremely white. "Are you okay?" she asked, very worried about her friend.  
  
"I. . . I think so," answered Martina, a bit shakily. Then, she dropped down on the bed, all of the color leaving her face. Carla caught her and lowered her down.  
  
"Drop the spell!"  
  
"I can't-Zoe. . ." Martina got paler. Carla shook her, making her let go of the magic, as Martina fell asleep. I have to warn Zoe, thought Carla, knowing that Martina's illusion spell wouldn't be working any more. She left the sleeping mage and ran towards the room with the TV.  
  
Lady Fire Eyes roamed the castle, looking for the rest of her group. After a short walk, she managed to find Carla, who was looking for Zoe. "What's up?" asked Lady Fire Eyes.  
  
"Well, I need to find Zoe, but she's not in here any more."  
  
"Hmm." At that moment, three soldiers rounded the corner, fully armed and ready to fight. Lady Fire Eyes took out her bow and Carla took out her sling, and the two girls prepared to face the enemy.  
  
Anita still lay in the infirmary, waiting for something to happen. Anella visited again, still trying to find out information, but she didn't succeed.  
  
Finally, the mage came. "Hello, girl," he said, sounding extremely unctuous. "How are you?"  
  
Anita didn't answer; instead she just moaned. She wanted to seem worse off than she actually was. "Healer!" called the mage, "I thought you said this girl was better?"  
  
"She was," answered Anella. "I guess she needs more work, my lord."  
  
"Than work," he said, and left the room. Anella called in another woman, one with pale grey magic, who put her hands on Anita's forehead and tried to heal her.  
  
Megan walked through the halls, trying to look as though she was just a servant going home for the day. Leaving the castle, she headed towards the camp, walking as fast as she could while still seeming somewhat normal. She had many important documents in her small bag, and she was prepared to had them over to Sir Raoul and Lady Alanna.  
  
Zoe and Krizsta were talking when Zoe felt Martina's spell start to evaporate. "Oh my God, I need to go!"  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"Look!" Krizsta looked. Then she realized that Zoe's face was changing, becoming younger and prettier. "I have to go!" she said and picked up her skirts and ran towards her rooms. Reaching them, she saw that Martina was lying there exhausted and that Carla was nowhere to be found. She waited, nervous, for Carla to return so that they could leave.  
  
Lani was running, running as fast as she could towards the camp. When she finally arrived, she was panting, and she could barely get her message out. Krizsta was going to marry the mage! Then, of course, she found out that Rose had found Tammy and that Tammy had told Numair and Alanna. She decided to rest a little before returning to help Krizsta.  
  
Krizsta sat, waiting for something to happen. As a lady, she couldn't seek out danger-she had to wait for it to come to her. A while after Zoe left, the mage finally entered.  
  
"Hello, my dear," he said, running his eyes down Krizsta's body.  
  
"Hello, my lord," she answered, unable to call him dear. "How was your day?"  
  
"I couldn't get any information from those idiots!"  
  
"What idiots?" she asked, playing dumb.  
  
"The spies I caught. But, my dear, there's no need for you to worry about such things; I can handle it."  
  
Ha! She thought, but she didn't say it. "Of course," was her response-that and batted eyelids. He smiled at her, as one might smile to a child, and then he ran his hand down her side. She shivered, her Sight suddenly very clear.  
  
Krizsta took out the knife Zoe had given her, and plunged it into his side.  
  
  
  
Ooh-a cliffy! I decided to leave you hanging as your punishment for not reviewing. Hahahahaha!!!! Like I said, I'm maniacal. REVIEW!!! NOW!!! Chapter 16 ain't gettin' written till I've got at least 142 reviews. (I'm currently at 132.) Oh, a few more things, I need an answer from every single one of you-if you don't give me one, I'll choose, and you may not be happy with my choice. Do you want to stay in Tortall at the end of this, or do you want to return to Earth? I need both groups, so PLEASE don't all choose the same thing. Another thing-this story will be about three more chapters, though it may be two or four. When I'm done with this one, and once I have my books with me, I'm going to start a new story, which will be taking place from about ten years before Squire to after this one ends. Do you think I need to rate it R if there's a violent sexual scene? And if I do, do you think people will read it? I would really like to know! Thanks!  
  
RoseFyre 


	16. Screams

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: It is official. I own nothing.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Yay! Eleven reviews!! Thank you guys soooo much!! Keep reviewing, please! You don't need to write much, even just a "nice" would be fine. To those of you who haven't reviewed, you know who you are, I mean, seriously. . . I manage to review most stories at least every other chapter, and some of you haven't reviewed AT ALL since I put you in!!!!!!!!!! You wanna know why I haven't killed you off? Because I don't have the time to go back and check who's which person. Also, because there's so little left, and I feel sorta bad killing people off. SO REVIEW, DAMNIT!!!!!  
  
  
  
4:00, Port Caynn, The Castle  
  
Krizsta took out the knife Zoe had given her, and plunged it into his side.  
  
Blake gasped, feeling fire coursing through his body, all of the pain caused by a girl, one whom he had thought there was no reason to fear. He pulled the knife out of his side and reached towards his wound with his gift. Not a healer, he couldn't fix it, and it was draining him.  
  
He grabbed wildly for Krizsta, knowing his magic was evaporating, knowing his control was gone. She, however, was still within his reach, and he knew she was giftless. He grabbed her hair, not being able to reach any other part of her. Krizsta, now weaponless except for her Sight and her hands, screamed.  
  
Somehow, magnified by the last of Blake's magic, her scream reached the whole city. Soldiers and servants, mages under Blake's control all gasped, the scream breaking the last of Blake's control. Shaking themselves, Morel and Vion looked at each other and made a run for the mage's rooms. Rolph, the steward, the one person who knew where the noise was coming from, ran for the guest rooms he had given the lady.  
  
The teenagers heard it too. Maddy, Brooke, Tina, and Jamie, just outside the castle, heard the scream, looked at each other, and ran inside, easily pushing past the stunned guards. They ran for the rooms, Maddy leading the way, her Sight telling her where to go.  
  
Kaddy and Amy, eating sandwiches in the stables, also heard it. "What was that?" asked Amy.  
  
"I don't know," said Kaddy. She called for the animals in the castle, asking them for an image. "It's Krizsta! The mage is trying to hurt her!" Amy dropped her sandwich, the jam making a mess on the floor. She ignored it; that wasn't important. The two girls ran for the castle, Kaddy getting directions from one of the cats.  
  
Raganas and Megan had met each other on the way to the camp. Hearing the scream, they turned around, running as fast as they could. Nowhere near the castle, they simply ran.  
  
Coffee Lee and Angel sat up in their cells, their pain suddenly forgotten. Both of them reached out with their magic, testing the walls around them. The thing that had stopped them from using their magic was gone! Coffee Lee blasted the lock on her door to bits, then did the same to Angel's. The girls came out carefully, checking for soldiers. In silent agreement, they sent their magic out together, looking for the source of the scream.  
  
Skye heard the scream, even as a dog. She turned around, dropping her message, charging for the castle. Luckily she hadn't gotten very far, so she managed to get there, get inside, and change into a mouse. She followed Apple as the two mice raced towards Krizsta's rooms.  
  
Kate, keeping watch over her friends, heard the scream clearly. Then she realized that so had Blaize, Max, Tammy, and Rose. Tammy, Blaize, and Max all got up slowly, fighting their exhausted bodies. Rose had stopped sobbing; instead she was watchful, waiting for something to happen.  
  
"What WAS that?" asked Max.  
  
"I think it was Krizsta," said Rose, very quietly. The others stared at her, shocked. Rose had NEVER spoken up first.  
  
"Then we're going in," said Kate decisively. She got up, looked out the door, then started walking down the halls. "Rose, where is it?" Rose started leading the way, as she knew where Krizsta's rooms were. The others followed her, Tammy and Blaize leaning into each other, trying to remain awake.  
  
Carla and Lady Fire Eyes were fighting when they heard the scream. The soldiers kept on going, the scream making only one of them stop: the commander. His magical brainwashing was gone, but the non-magical brainwashing of the regular soldiers was still in place. The girls fought on, and one of the men got Lady Fire Eyes in the arm. She gasped in pain as Carla cut the man down.  
  
With great gusto, both of them attacked the second soldier. He died quickly, leaving only the commander, who still sat in shock. The girls looked at each other and prepared to kill him. "Wait, no!" he yelled. "The magic is gone!" The girls stopped, backing away so he couldn't kill them if he tried.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Carla, her eyes narrowed.  
  
"Something happened, and I suddenly realized that I was brainwashed and that the mage was wrong." Lady Fire Eyes gasped just then, lines of pain working themselves down through her arm. Carla immediately turned to her.  
  
"We need to get you to Kate."  
  
"I know, but. . . What's your name?" she asked the soldier.  
  
"Pindo," he answered. "Pindo Carashan."  
  
"Well, Pindo, will you help us destroy that TV?" asked Lady Fire Eyes, her eyes boring into the man.  
  
"Lady Fire Eyes!" yelled Carla. "We need to go see what happened!"  
  
"I know. But, someone else might find that TV and use it for more evil."  
  
"You're right," said Carla, sighing. "Can you last that long?"  
  
"I think so. Pindo, will you help us?"  
  
"Yes," he said. "Yes." The two girls and the soldier walked to the TV room, ready to destroy it.  
  
Martina, lying asleep on her bed, felt the scream more than she heard it. Jumping up, she ran towards the TV room, not knowing where else to go. Zoe, asleep on Carla's bed, also heard the scream and followed Martina.  
  
Hearing the scream, Anita sat up, breaking the healer's concentration. Anella suddenly gasped, feeling the spell drain from her body. The healer moved away, blinking as the magic released her and the girl under her hands jumped up and ran out.  
  
Anita ran for the corridor with no idea of where she was going. Suddenly she ran into someone.  
  
"Anita!"  
  
"Martina, Zoe!"  
  
"Zoe?" asked Martina, turning around. Then she realized her "mistress" was behind her. She turned back to Anita and said, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I heard that. . . that scream."  
  
"So did I," said Zoe.  
  
"Me too. Let's go." The girls crept towards the north tower, not knowing if they were going the right way or not. They heard people talking, so they went into the next corridor to investigate, finding two dead soldiers and Lady Fire Eyes, Carla, and a man walking towards the TV room. They silently followed, not sure what was going to happen.  
  
  
  
4:00, Port Caynn, The Camp  
  
As she was mounting her horse, getting ready to return to the castle, Lani heard the scream split the air. She turned to Daine, who was holding the mount, and asked, "What was that?"  
  
"I have no idea." Alanna came rushing out, followed quickly by Numair.  
  
"I think that was Krizsta. Something happened. You need to go in, Lani. We'll follow." Lani nodded and rode into the city, racing towards the castle.  
  
Alanna sighed, looked at Numair, and said, "The soldiers'll still fight. They weren't enchanted." Numair nodded his head, agreeing. They went around camp, warning everyone, making sure that everyone was prepared to fight.  
  
Then, without warning the enemy attacked, and the Tortallans fought. Owen fell off his horse, an arrow in his shoulder, but he managed to get back to the healer's tents.  
  
"What happened?" asked Neal, as he dragged his friend inside.  
  
"I got hit while having a jolly time attacking some of the men. Just heal it and let me back out."  
  
"Not till you eat." With that, Neal let his green fire wash over Owen, healing the wound and removing the arrow. He then handed him a piece of bread. Owen muttered his thanks and went outside, finding that a strange horse had come up to him. He mounted and returned to fighting.  
  
Luckily the Tortallans weren't having too many problems; the enemy's horses were running, thanks to Daine, and their commanders weren't fighting. Only those who had been brainwashed in non-magical ways continued to fight, and there were more Tortallans with better commanders. After a few hours, the battle was over, and all of the enemy were prisoners or dead, including the commanders, who had surrendered.  
  
"I wonder where the girls are?" asked Alanna as she removed her armor. "They went in a while ago."  
  
"Who knows?" asked Raoul, gasping as he realized there was a cut on his leg. In the heat of the battle, he hadn't noticed it.  
  
"Here, let me deal with that." Alanna let her violet fire run over his leg, turning the cut into a scar. The two of them finished removing their armor and went outside.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: I was considering stopping it here, but then I decided that that would be cruel. Please continue reading.  
  
  
  
4:15, Port Caynn, Inside The Castle  
  
Krizsta struggled, trying to escape the man. He had grabbed her hair and was trying to grab her wrists. He had almost succeeded, even though she was fighting with all she had. Suddenly, he grabbed the knife she had used on him and tried to plunge it into her. She screamed again, trying to get away from him. He managed to cut her dress, but he didn't get her.  
  
Suddenly, Tammy, Rose, Blaize, Max, and Kate rushed into the room. Taking stock of the situation, Blaize used her magic to grab the weapon. It took the last of her strength, but she managed, before her magic died. Max and Tammy were also out, having used it all up on their various spells. Kate then touched Blake, sending him into a deep sleep before examining the cut on his side.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Max. "He deserves to die."  
  
"Yes, but I'm going to leave him to the king's justice."  
  
"Good idea," said Tammy. She motioned to Kate to continue, and Kate healed the cut.  
  
"I didn't heal it all the way; I need to save some magic, and he isn't THAT important."  
  
"True," said Blaize, laughing. The four of them then turned around to find Krizsta lying on the floor with Rose kneeling over her. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I think so. He almost had me. Thanks for coming, guys." Everyone nodded, and Rose helped her to sit up, making sure that Krizsta was all right.  
  
Maddy, Brooke, Tina, Jamie, Kaddy, Amy, Raganas, Megan, Coffee Lee, Angel, Skye, and Lani all arrived at the same time, to see Blake asleep on the floor, four exhausted mages, and Rose and Krizsta.  
  
"What happened?" asked Maddy, first with the questions, as always.  
  
"Yeah, tell!" said everyone else.  
  
"Well, I suddenly had a flash of the Sight, and I ended up plunging the dagger that Zoe gave me into his side. He yelled, his magic breaking apart, and he tried to stab me. Blaize got the weapon away from him then, and Kate put him to sleep."  
  
"Where is Zoe, by the way?" asked Megan, noticing that she was missing.  
  
"I don't know," answered Skye.  
  
"Last I know, she was heading for her rooms because Martina's spell wasn't holding up any more," answered Krizsta.  
  
"Let's go find her!" said Kaddy.  
  
"And we're also missing Carla!" said Raganas.  
  
"And Martina and Anita!" said Angel.  
  
"And don't forget Lady Fire Eyes!" put in Amy.  
  
"Is that everyone?" asked Tammy. The girls looked around, counting their friends. They all nodded, and Tammy said, "All right, let's go." They all went down the hallway, searching the castle, no longer scared of the soldiers.  
  
Meanwhile, in the TV room, Carla used her slingshot to punch a hole in the TV screen. She then started laughing as she saw Anita, Martina, and Zoe enter behind her and Lady Fire Eyes and Pindo.  
  
"What are you guys doing?" asked Anita.  
  
"Well, we came in here to destroy this," answered Carla.  
  
"Lady Fire Eyes! You're hurt!" said Martina, noticing the cut on the girl's arm.  
  
"It's nothing. Kate can heal it, I'm sure. Let's destroy this thing!"  
  
"Yes!" answered Zoe and Pindo, and the six people began to break the TV apart.  
  
  
  
Well, there's chapter 16. Yay!!! I have two chapters left, which should sum up the story. Please, please, please review. To those who haven't answered yet, do you want to stay in Tortall or do you want to go home? With your permission, I MAY consider putting you in one of my later stories. I know for a fact that my next story is going to take place before, during, and after this one, but in a different area. Even if you give me permission to use you, I may not though. However, if you HAVEN'T reviewed this story at least four times (once every four chapters) you will not be allowed to be in any of my future stories UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Please ignore my maniacalness. Is that even a word? Oh, well, whatever. Review, and Chapter 17 should be out Monday night, though I won't guarantee it, not when I have a paper and two tests as well as a lot of reading to do!  
  
As always, RoseFyre 


	17. Return To Corus

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: As you should know by now, I own Rose, Blake, Vion, Morel, Pindo, Rolph, Greya, FourFeathers, and Apple. Everyone else is owned by Tammy or themselves.  
  
  
  
8:00, Port Caynn, The Camp  
  
It was the next morning, and Alanna was still worried sick about the girls. After all, none of them had returned last night, and she hadn't gotten any messages. Just then, she saw a bird, a starling, flying towards her with a note in its beak. It landed on her shoulder and dropped the note into her palm.  
  
"Alanna, Numair, please contact me as soon as possible; I'm too worn out to try and contact you. Tamora." Alanna went for Numair and Daine's tent, hoping the mage would be there.  
  
She got to the tent, finding it to be a veritable menagerie. In the tent, besides the two humans, there were a dragon, a marmoset, ten birds, three dogs, six cats, fifteen kittens, and a hedgehog. Somehow, all of the animals were grouped around Daine, leaving Numair smushed into the far corner of the tent. Alanna laughed, picking her way among the animals in order to reach her friend.  
  
"Numair," she called. "Numair, please wake up."  
  
Numair didn't stir, but Daine did. "Wha-oh, Alanna. He's asleep. What do you need?"  
  
Fighting the urge to tell the girl that it was obvious he was asleep, Alanna answered, "I got a cryptic message from Tamora; she wants to speak to us, and I need him for the spell."  
  
"Oh." Daine rolled over and began to shake her lover. "Numair, Numair honey, time to get up." He groaned and sat up.  
  
"Alanna! What?" He seemed to be trying to form coherent sentences without succeeding.  
  
"She needs you for a speaking spell. Leave so I can go back to sleep, please!"  
  
"All right, all right." With that, Numair got out of bed, luckily wearing a pair of breeches, even though they were the same pair as he had worn the day before. He left the tent, Daine easily spreading out to cover his spot, sighing as the animals regrouped around her.  
  
"What's this about, Alanna?" She handed him the note, and he read it, raising his eyebrows as he did so. "Well then. . ." He reached out to her with his magic, calling forth the black fire of his gift. She answered with her purple, and the two colors entwined, reaching for the castle and the deep purple gift that waited within.  
  
Inside the castle, Tammy sat, waiting for her friends to reach her. She hoped that the bird that Jamie had sent was reliable; otherwise she would have to attempt to reach them, and she doubted she could manage that.  
  
The girls were slowly waking up around her, Rose being the only other person who was fully awake. Of course she was; she had grown up as a servant, having been brought by her uncle Gower to the palace when she was only ten, and she had been assigned to Tammy as an assistant. She only knew that life, but now she seemed to be becoming more. . .assertive, Tammy thought. It was almost as though the girls had opened up something in her that had been locked up tight for 18 years. Tammy was glad to see it happen.  
  
That was when she felt the magic tug at her. Seeing the black and purple flames, the woman sent out her magic, the color exactly in between theirs, and attached it to them.  
  
"Hello," she sent.  
  
"Hello Tamora," answered Numair and Alanna.  
  
"What is this all about?" asked Alanna, as always the more assertive.  
  
"Well, we defeated the mage, Blake, and removed his mind control. Did you have any trouble with the armies?"  
  
"A little-the commanders weren't fighting, but the men were," answered Numair. "I'm to assume that he was brainwashing the commanders with magic, and that they taught the troops without magic, so when the magic wore off, the troops weren't affected?"  
  
"I think that's right; I don't understand the mechanics of the spell he used. It certainly isn't one I've seen before. But, anyway, we destroyed the television and freed his people; we let them go, since they were under a spell. However, they do need a new lord or lady, but I'll take that up with Jon later. Anyway, we didn't kill him; none of the mages had enough power, and no one wanted to use a knife. I think Jon will have to deal with him."  
  
"Sounds fair," answered Alanna. "Should we call Jon?"  
  
"Sure." The trio reached out, sending their spell towards Corus and the sapphire-colored fire in the throne room. Jon tested the magic, then, deeming it safe, entered into it.  
  
"Hello," he said, his voice sounding slightly faint to the others because of the distances. "Did you defeat the mage?"  
  
"That we did," answered Tammy. "He's in the castle, waiting to be dealt with. Also, Port Caynn needs a new ruler, and I need to talk to you about portals."  
  
"Portals? You mean, like the one that leads from your home to the stables?"  
  
"Yeah." Numair and Alanna glanced at each other, confused. Neither of them knew what on Earth (or Tortall) Jon and Tammy were talking about.  
  
"Well, you two might as well know. Tamora and the girls aren't from our world; they're from a place they call Earth." Numair and Alanna were both stunned. "There are ways to get from here to there; Tamora guards one that leads to the stables and the mage must've found another one, as he is from their home. Tamora, what did you need to say about portals?"  
  
"Well, the way you make one is by having a healer and a war-mage work together. Kate and Blaize had no trouble making one, though it DID cut down on both of their strength."  
  
"Makes sense. It WOULD be magically draining. . ." answered Jon, thinking it over.  
  
"So a war-mage has to blast through, and a healer has to seal the edges?" mused Numair. "Hmm, makes sense. I wonder if they can do it from the other side, or if there are any other worlds?" The four glanced at each other through the spell, suddenly realizing that maybe there WERE other worlds, and that they were only a spell away.  
  
"Well, there isn't any magic on Earth, so I doubt we could open one form there, though we might be able to," answered Tammy, sounding doubtful.  
  
Jon nodded, then said, "All right, we need to break the connection, and you need to clean up. Numair, can you wipe the mage's memory?" Numair thought about the idea, not certain whether or not he could do such a spell.  
  
"Pardon me, your majesty, but I think that some of the girls might be able to do such a thing. Some of them can control other people, and Raganas can even do it without magic," said Tammy.  
  
"Good. Wipe his memory and send him home." Tammy nodded. "And bring the girls back to the castle." Then Jon broke the connection. Alanna and Numair went to wake up the camp and prepare everyone to move, while Tammy got all of the girls awake.  
  
"Think you're up for some magic?" she asked Blaize, Kate, Angel, Raganas, and Coffee Lee. The girls nodded, even though Kate looked a little tired, since she had healed Lady Fire Eyes' arm last night as well. Some of the others carried the mage over, and the three with the power of convincing worked on him, Angel and Coffee Lee using their magic, Raganas just talking to the man, convincing him that it was all a dream. He shuddered, and then Kate and Blaize opened up a portal into the city and dumped him through. They closed the portal immediately, so as not to waste their strength, and then the large group of girls began to get ready to leave.  
  
  
  
Two Days Later, Noon, Corus  
  
Everyone was ecstatic when they finally arrived at the palace, all of the girls ready to rest. Jon greeted them, sending the knights and his people to unpack and take a break. He brought the girls and Tammy to his sitting room, letting Tammy motion for Rose to leave them.  
  
"Well, that was successful-more successful than I could have hoped for," he said, looking around the room.  
  
"Thank you, your majesty," answered Amy, speaking for the group. "We're glad we did it."  
  
"Good. Now, the question is, what do you want to do? You have the option of staying here or returning to your homes."  
  
"Remember," said Tammy, "that it's been only about an hour and a half since we left Earth. If you stay here, you'll be older when you return, though not much time will have elapsed. If you go back, you'll be the same age, but when you return, lots of time may have passed."  
  
"Can we make more portals between here and there?" asked Max.  
  
Tammy looked at the king, then nodded. "Yes, I think we can." The room erupted into cheers, as the girls knew that, even if they went home, they'd be able to return any time, and that maybe they could bring other people with them.  
  
"Now, what do you want to do?" asked the king, sending the room back into silence.  
  
Krizsta was the first to speak. It somehow seemed. . .fitting. "Well, I think that I'd like to stay here, and maybe meet some nice nobles. I like it here, and, well, I think I want to stay."  
  
Jon looked at her, an impetuous idea forming in his mind. "How would you like to be the new lady of Port Caynn?" he asked. "After all, that's what you would've been had Blake succeeded." She shuddered. "And it would give Lady Tamora somewhere to be from, as well as a convenient meeting spot and home for all of you girls." Krizsta nodded, accepting his offer, yet silently vowing never to enter the north tower again.  
  
"All right, who else is staying?" asked Jon.  
  
Anita and Martina raised their hands together. "We would," they said together, then glared at each other. "I mean, I'd like to be knighted some day," said Anita.  
  
"And I'd like to be able to control my magic better," added her sister. "Like, I fainted from doing too much, and I'd rather not go through THAT experience again." Jon laughed, granting them their wishes with a wave of his hand.  
  
"Me too!" yelled Maddy, raising her hand frantically. "I want to become a full Rider!" she screamed, causing some of the other girls to wince. "Well, I would," she said, in a slightly calmer tone of voice.  
  
"I'd also like to become a rider," said Angel.  
  
"As would I," agreed Lady Fire Eyes.  
  
"Then you all can," answered the king. "Anyone else?"  
  
"You know, I think I want to become a knight. And controlling people can be really fun," said Coffee Lee, grinning wickedly. Everyone else laughed at the expression on her face, knowing she was bound to have fun.  
  
"We'd also like to stay; I love being able to heal," said Kate.  
  
"And I love to fight," added Blaize. "We also want to work on the whole portal thing, and we're the ones who can make it possible for everyone else to return, but only if we stay."  
  
"That makes sense," said Jon. "You can both stay here; you are very welcome."  
  
"I'd also like to stay," said Amy. "I want to learn more about my magic."  
  
"As do I," said Skye. "I love being able to talk to animals."  
  
"Fine. You'll all learn for a while, and then you'll help Lady Krizsta with her new fief." They all nodded. "Anyone else?" No one else raised her hand. "So you're all going home?" asked the king, looking at the ten other girls.  
  
"Yeah," said Max. "Controlling the weather can be fun, but. . .well, I'd like to see my friends.  
  
"Me too," said Lani.  
  
"I need to take care of my mom," said Tina. "She needs me."  
  
"And so do my little sisters," said Kaddy.  
  
"What about the rest of you?" asked Jon.  
  
"Staying DOES sound like fun," answered Carla, "but I'd rather go home and just visit."  
  
"I agree with that one," said Zoe, nodding her head.  
  
"As do I," agreed Megan.  
  
"And you?" asked Jon, looking at the remaining three.  
  
"Yup, I'm returning," said Jamie.  
  
"As am I," agreed Brooke. "It's been fun here and all, but. . ."  
  
"That's what I think," said Raganas, the last to talk. "I can still convince people back home, and, you know, being a knight isn't my first choice of things to do anymore."  
  
Jon nodded, looking at the girls in front of him. They had changed so much in barely a month and a half; they had defeated a mage without his help, and with very little assistance from anyone else. He felt old. His and Tammy's eyes met, and she smiled a little ironic smile, understanding what he was thinking. "And you, Tamora?"  
  
"I think I'll take the girls home, and then maybe I'll return at Midwinter, as I was planning," she answered.  
  
"Then, pack up if you're leaving, and if you're staying, help the others," said the king. "I need to go. Stupid meetings!" he exclaimed, shocking the roomful of teenagers. He left quickly, and the room broke into companionable laughter.  
  
  
  
Well, there's chapter 17, the last full chapter. Sorry guys, but the fic's almost over. Just an epilogue and personal thank-yous left to write. Like I said last chapter, I MAY put you in one of my future stories, but only if you've reviewed at lease four times (not counting this chapter). I absolutely refuse to go through the experience of putting in people who don't review after they ask to be in it, making me wonder if they're even reading any more. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like I said last time, ignore my maniacalness. Just one note, Anita, I'm sorry I didn't make you a knighted butterfly, but it wouldn't work at all with the storyline. Oh, another note: if you're one of the people who's returning to Earth, but you'd like to be in a later story and you've reviewed at least four times, you will be able to. I DID include a means of transportation, and I might also take from other universes, as there are infinite possibilities. So, please enjoy the epilogue, which will be coming in a few days, and then I hope you read my next story!!! The main idea is that it's about the girl who Vinson mentions raping in Squire, right after his ordeal. If you steal my idea you die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
RoseFyre 


	18. Epilogue

Midnight, Corus, Outside The Palace. . .  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Sigh. But, I WILL own the main character in my next story, so. . . READ IT!!!! (When it comes out.)  
  
  
  
Two Days Later, Dawn, Corus, The Stables  
  
The girls and Tammy waited outside the stables, knowing that everyone would be by any moment to see them off. Half of the girls were packed and ready to leave; the other half waited with them. Tammy was also packed, since she knew she couldn't stay too long. Rose waited with them, still a bit in awe of the girls; Tammy had told her the truth about their origin after getting permission from the king.  
  
Suddenly, a large group of people approached the stables. The king and queen led, followed by Alanna, George, Myles, Numair, Daine, Duke Baird, Neal, Owen, Cleon, Kel, Roald, Shinko, Yuki, Sir Padraig, Buri, Evin, Dom, Raoul, and Sir Gareth the Younger. There were also a few people there who they didn't recognize.  
  
"Are you all ready?" asked Jon. The girls nodded, still a bit nervous.  
  
Tammy answered. "We're ready."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Thank you all for coming!" said Thayet. "Now, there are some presents for you."  
  
Alanna stepped forwards. "Max, here's a charm from all of us, in the shape of a lightning bolt, to remind you of your magic. Don't forget to meditate as well!"  
  
"Thank you," answered Max, a bit awestruck.  
  
"Kaddy, Jamie, here's a kitten for each of you," said Daine, handing them the animals.  
  
"Thanks! I think I'll name her. . . Oria," said Kaddy.  
  
"And he'll be. . . Morait," said Jamie.  
  
"Lovely names," answered Thayet. "George?"  
  
"Lockpicks for you, m'dear," he said to Tina, handing her a small packet. The two of them laughed, sharing their knowledge of thievery. Alanna smiled in reminiscence, thinking about his gift of lockpicks to her, and their help in escaping from the Tusaine many years before.  
  
Buri came up. "Carla, here's a new slingshot. From all of us." Carla took the beautiful wooden sling, knowing that she might never use it but still cherishing the gift.  
  
"Daggers for two lady pages," said Kel, handing the gifts to Raganas and Brooke, both of whom looked completely awestruck.  
  
"And for you as well, Lani," added Owen. The two of them had become friends during her short time at the camp. "Isn't it jolly?" he asked, not expecting any answer but a laugh.  
  
"Zoe, Megan, here's some lockpicks as well," said Myles. "You might find them useful." The two girls looked at each other and grinned, knowing they would find SOMETHING to do with them.  
  
"Numair?" said Jon, obviously asking a question. The tall mage shook himself and went over to the girls.  
  
"Ahh, yes. Tamora, this is for you as well, and for all of the girls, including those who are staying." He gestured to everyone else, each of whom took a necklace out of his/her pocket. Numair had one as well. "These are special charms that will make it so that when you move between the worlds, you will be the same age as you were the last time you went through, and very little time will have elapsed. You will get older while you're here, but, when you return to Earth, you'll be young once more. Also, when you spend a month here, only an hour will elapse there." The girls looked at each other, ecstatic about their present. Each of the Tortallans, Rose included, handed a necklace to a girl or Tammy.  
  
"Now, I believe it's time to go. Tamora?" said Jon.  
  
"Good bye!" With that, Tammy led the small group into the stables, and they said goodbye to Tortall for a while.  
  
Sir Padraig walked over to the remaining pages. "Well, Coffee Lee, Anita, time to get to work." The two girls groaned and rolled their eyes, but they followed the training master.  
  
"Same for you, Skye," said Daine, smiling as usual. The two of them went off, each changing into a cat and chasing the other. Their clothing fell to the ground, and Numair picked it up, shaking his head.  
  
"Martina, Blaize, Amy," he said, "I think it's time for us to work as well. Can you help me with this clothing?" The three girls giggled, but they did as he asked.  
  
Buri moved towards the group. "Angel, Maddy, Lady Fire Eyes, time for us to go riding." Evin followed her as she led the girls away.  
  
"Kate, Neal, there are some people waiting for us. Alanna, I may need you too," said Duke Baird.  
  
"At your service," she answered, and led the way to the infirmary. Slowly everyone began to drift away, until Krizsta was one of the only ones left. She looked around, saw Rose, and smiled at the servant girl. Then she looked up, into the dark eyes of a man she didn't know.  
  
"Hello, sir," she said.  
  
"Hello, my lady, my name is Gareth, Sir Gareth the Youngest of Naxen."  
  
  
  
Wow!!! I can't believe I finished that!!! And I even have an idea for my next story!!! I should be able to start it soon, too. Did you like it? Please review!! Please!! Remember to tell me if you want to be in any more stories, and remember that you're only allowed to if you reviewed at least four times. The reason I chose that number was because, at the rate I wrote, it meant you read at least every weekend. So, if you didn't read that often, you don't deserve to be in any more stories. I love you all, and thank you for letting me use you! See below for any personal notes I needed to write, and to see if you can be in my future stories. Please be warned though, you may not be a major part, and you may not appear in them at all.  
  
RoseFyre  
  
  
  
Can be in future stories: (penname/character)  
  
Paige Nokomis/Blaize  
  
Silenttina/Tina  
  
Wolf of Avalon/Skye  
  
Krizsta  
  
Googlepuss/Anita and Martina  
  
Lady Fire Eyes  
  
Mistress Sock/Coffee Lee  
  
Lady Knight/Maddy  
  
Galadriel Greenleaf/Amy  
  
Angel Reaper/Angel  
  
Lady Katherine Heartspark/Kate  
  
Lady-Atalanta/Lani  
  
Angel of Darkness/Max  
  
  
  
Well, that's it. Sorry to everyone else, but you didn't review enough!!! On to notes. There aren't too many, so sorry if you didn't get a personal one, but it's one in the morning.  
  
  
  
Googlepuss-I will try not to put in spoilers for Lady Knight, but please tell me when you get the book so that I can finally write it in.  
  
Maddy-I'm sorry about the whole bloopers thing-I feel like it's my fault!!! Please keep on writing though-I love your stories!  
  
Angel Reaper-I may write a CoM fic like this one at some point in the future, but then again, I may not. It's hard juggling all of these people who will yell at me if I get a personal characteristic wrong. I WOULD like to do one of those, but there are a few more waiting for me first.  
  
Krizsta-Thank you for all of your help, and for letting me completely abuse your character. You're great!  
  
  
  
And to everyone-Thanks again!!! 


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